Najib’s Special Lebanese Cauliflower
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Najib’s Special Lebanese Cauliflower is EXACTLY like the famous cauliflower from Nuba restaurant in Vancouver. It’s lemony, delicious, and served with a simple tahini sauce. It is totally irresistible!
Najib’s Special Lebanese Cauliflower is nothing short of legendary in Vancouver. Say the words “Najib’s cauliflower” to anyone who’s spent time in the city, and you’ll immediately hear a passionate monologue about crispy edges, tangy lemon, and why Nuba is basically a civic treasure. The devotion is real—and honestly, it’s deserved.
This cauliflower hits every note: gently crisp on the outside, creamy and tender on the inside, and absolutely bursting with flavor. It tastes like roasted cauliflower’s wildly overachieving cousin, finished with a generous squeeze of lemon and a shower of flaky salt, just like they serve it at Nuba. The result is bold, bright, and deeply satisfying in that way that makes you keep “just one more piece”-ing until the plate is empty.
If you don’t live near Vancouver—or you simply want that Nuba magic at home—this version delivers. It tastes exactly like Najib’s Special Cauliflower, and every time I make it, it takes me straight back to the restaurant. You’ll need a high-heat oil (avocado is my go-to, though peanut, canola, or sunflower all work), one large head of cauliflower (keep it completely dry—no rinsing!), a light coating of cornstarch for that crisp shell, and plenty of lemon and flaky salt to finish. Simple ingredients, iconic flavor.
Also, be sure to try my bang bang cauliflower and our kung pao cauliflower!
Safely deep fry
- Never leave a pot of oil unattended. It won’t take long for the oil to burn and it can catch fire. Keep your eyes on it at all times.
- If you’re working with a deep fryer, make sure whatever you put into it is 100% dry. Any water will cause the oil to splatter.
- If you’re frying in a pan, make sure it has high sides. When you add the cauliflower, the oil will bubble, and you don’t want it to boil over.
- Clear the area around your stove before you start, also make sure little children or pets aren’t around in case of splatter.
Tips for deep-frying cauliflower
- Use a neutral-flavored oil. The oil’s flavor transfers to whatever you’re frying, so choose something mild. I like avocado oil, but canola or sunflower oil also works well.
- Start with clean oil. You can reuse frying oil by letting it cool and straining it, but once it looks dark or smells off, it’s time to discard it.
- Maintain a steady temperature. Keep a close eye on your thermometer and adjust the heat as needed. For this recipe, aim for about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s best if the oil is just a few degrees hotter before adding the cauliflower, since the temperature will drop slightly once it’s added.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Frying too many pieces at once lowers the oil temperature, causing the cauliflower to absorb excess oil and become greasy rather than crisp.
Najib’s Special Lebanese Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- High-heat oil (for frying – avocado oil works great)
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into small florets – do NOT wash the cauliflower!)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 lemon (sliced)
- Sea salt
- Optional: cilantro or parsley to garnish
The Tahini Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove (grated)
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of oil to a medium sized pot with high sides. Attach a candy/ deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches degrees 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower the heat to medium and let the oil continue to heat until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit.High-heat oil
- Toss the cauliflower with the cornstarch. This will ensure it is completely dry and safe to deep-fry. Fry the cauliflower, several pieces at a time, for 5-7 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden brown and soft. Remove the cauliflower pieces from the hot oil and set them on a paper towel lined tray. Keep them warm on low heat in your oven while you fry the rest.1 medium head of cauliflower, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- While the cauliflower is frying, prepare the tahini sauce by mixing all the tahini sauce ingredients together with two tablespoons of water.2 tablespoons tahini, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove, A pinch of sea salt
- Once all the Lebanese cauliflower has finished frying, squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the cauliflower and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side and a little cilantro or parsley over the top.Sea salt, Optional: cilantro or parsley to garnish, 1 lemon
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Hi Kristen,
I’m just wondering, instead of deep frying the cauliflower, can I bake it instead?
Thanks!!
You definitely can! Just know that the texture would be the same. It will still be yummy though! Just make sure to keep it in the oven until it is nicely browned – more brown than you think it should be. I always suggest roasting cauliflower until it is just shy of burning. 🙂
I have tried this recipe tonight. My cauliflower wasn’t crispy, more soft/soggy. Also, it did not look as nice and brown as yours. What did I do wrong? Too little oil or not hot enough?
Also, the tahini sauce is quite a thick consistency? Are you suppose to just dip your cauliflower in it or drizzle it over?
Please help – I need to get this recipe right for a dinner party we are having Saturday night !
I’m so sorry for the late reply! I’ve been away and haven’t had access to checking the comments. It sounds like the oil may not have been hot enough. While the cauliflower while the cauliflower will be soft, it shouldn’t be soggy. When oil is not hot enough it can soak into what you’re frying. And you can add a little water to the tahini sauce if it needs thinning. The consistency will depend on how much oil (how thick/thin) the tahini was that you used. 🙂
What type of oil did you use? Krysha Nair
I use grapeseed oil. Any neutral flavored oil will work. 🙂
I just made these yummy treats today and It’s now my favorite cauliflower recipe. Thank you for sharing your recipe Kristen.
That’s so great to hear! I love them so much, too. 🙂
Ι’ve never tried fried cauliflower before and after reading your recipe and looking at your beautiful photos, it really looks like I HAVE to, asap! Thanks for sharing, Kristen, will be definitely giving this a try soon.
You totally do! Honestly, it’s so so delicious!!
The Lebanese restaurant here roasts their cauliflower after drizzling it with tahini, lots of garlic and lemon juice. It is to die for!! (I make it at home quite often 😀 ) I’ll have to try this for a different twist… Thanks!
It sounds really similar! I love love love roasted cauliflower. 🙂
I just saw a photo of this recipe on Pinterest, and immediately I wondered if it might be like the cauliflower my husband and I ate during our last trip to Vancouver, where we had one of our favourite meals at Nuba. We both still talk about that cauliflower! I’m so excited to give you recipe a try. Thank you!
I’m so happy you found it! It is seriously my favourite cauliflower. 🙂
What temperature do you first heat the oil to before turning down?
Attach a candy/ deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches degrees. Lower the heat to medium and let it heat to 350 degrees.
What is it best paired with?
I look forward to giving this a try!
Thanks for catching that! I heat the oil to 300 degrees over med-high heat then turn the heat down to medium while it rises to 350 degrees. Doing it this way speeds things up at the beginning without risking over heating the oil at the end,
I love this recipe on its own as a snack. It would be great in a wrap or beside some grilled meat or veggies, too. 🙂
I searched for this recipe after trying this at Nuba and I gotta say, you NAILED it, It’s a very easy and straight forward recipe but still, I have tried this dish at different restaurants and they never taste like Nuba’s, so after making this and tasting it, I had a triumphant moment. Dinner yesterday was special because of this. Thank you!!!
You are so welcome! I have to admit that I was pretty stoked when I first tried it, too. 🙂
Awww you are too kind! Thank you so much!!
Thanks, love!!
Me too! Rice, polenta, pizza crust, tacos … it’s like magic. 🙂
It is! You’re going to love it. 🙂
Oh girl, I think you would! This stuff is totally delicious. 🙂
I think Najib needs to move to the east coast! Looks like we’ve been missing out all along 😉 This looks sooo insanely delicious. I actually used to love ordering roasted cauliflower with tahini from a very tiny Lebanese restaurant many many years ago and completely forgot about how delicious that combo is. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
They do! It’s one of my favourite places to eat. Crazy how roasting and frying cauliflower changes it so dramatically, isn’t it?!
Oh my word this sounds amazing! Even better, I have all the ingredients 😉
So glad you and your house are okay!
Thanks, girl! It was a close call. 🙂