Najib’s Special Lebanese Cauliflower
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
Also, be sure to try our bang bang cauliflower and our kung pao cauliflower!
Najib's Special Lebanese Cauliflower is a tradition in Vancouver. Many hold it in god-like reverence. If you say ‘Najib's Cauliflower' to anyone who has spent time in the city, you'll be forced to endure a rant about how it's the best cauliflower in the world. They're not wrong.
Lebanese cauliflower tastes like roasted cauliflower, only about 1.4 bazillion times better. That's no exaggeration. We squeezed a bunch of lemon juice over top, sprinkled a good amount of sea salt, and served it with a simple tahini sauce, just like they do at Nuba.
If you don't live near Vancouver, or you just feel like eating at home, this Lebanese cauliflower tastes EXACTLY like Najib's Special Cauliflower from Nuba.
Ingredients needed
Oil – you'll want to use a high-heat oil for this recipe. Avocado oil works great, but so does peanut, canola, or sunflower.
Cauliflower – We use one large head for this recipe. Whatever you do, DO NOT wash the cauliflower. It's impossible to dry completely and any small droplets of water will make the hot oil spit dangerously. If there is any visible dirt on the cauliflower, use a dry cloth to brush it off.
Cornstarch – This is to coat the cauliflower. You can also use tapioca starch if you'd like.
Lemon and flaky salt – Once the cauliflower is cooked, we salt it liberally and squeeze the lemon over the top.
How to make Lebanese cauliflower
How do you make cauliflower taste like the best cauliflower in the world? It is far easier than you might imagine.
- The first thing you're going to do is take out a pot and pour 2 inches of oil inside. Now attach a deep-fry thermometer and bring the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Toss the cauliflower with cornstarch – not all of it will stick, and that's ok; It's to make sure that the cauliflower is completely dry. Now, carefully deep-fry the cauliflower for 5-7 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is frying, mix up the simple tahini sauce. (If you feel more comfortable, you can make this the very first step so that your attention is 100% on the cauliflower while it's cooking.)
- Now to serve the fried Lebanese cauliflower, sprinkle it with a good pinch of flaky sea salt and squeeze some lemon juice over top!
Deep Frying Safety Tips
- 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 of anything combustible before you begin deep-frying, also make sure little children aren't around in case of splatter.
Tips for deep-frying cauliflower
- Use a neutral-flavored oil as the flavor of the oil will transfer to whatever you are deep-frying. We like to use avocado oil.
- Make sure to use clean-looking oil. You can save the oil by letting it cool and then straining it, but once it looks dark, it's time to discard it.
- Keep the oil at a constant temperature by keeping a close eye on the thermometer and adjusting the heat accordingly. For this recipe, you want the oil to be right about 350 degrees. It is better to have the oil a few degrees hotter before you add the cauliflower as it will cool a little once the cauliflower goes in.
- Never crowd the pan. Adding too many pieces at once will lower the oil temperature, and the food will absorb more of the oil and end up tasting greasy.
Also, try these deep-fry recipes
Recipe FAQs
Can this recipe be baked?
Frying is what makes this cauliflower recipe taste like the Lebanese cauliflower from Nuba restaurant. While you can certainly bake cauliflower, season it with salt and lemon, and serve it with tahini sauce, it won't taste the same. But it will still be yummy.
Can this recipe be made in an air fryer?
You sure can! We suggest following the cooking instructions on this air fryer cauliflower recipe. But make sure to season it and serve it with our tahini sauce so it tastes like Lebanese cauliflower!
How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days in a sealed container in your fridge.
How should I reheat the leftovers?
The best way to reheat Lebanese cauliflower is in an oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes about 15 minutes to get them warm and slightly crispy again.
Najib's Special Lebanese Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- Oil (for frying (avocado oil works great))
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into small florets (do NOT wash the cauliflower!))
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (can sub tapioca starch)
- 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.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
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our cauliflower recipes!
What can you accompany this dish with?
Just about anything! Most often I serve this as an appetizer. But it’s also great beside chicken as a side dish.
As a lebanese I find it hilarious people pay nuba for fried cauliflower. Definitely make it at home. Super easy recipe, no one would pay that much for it at home
Can’t wait to try this. Ate at Nuba last week and the cauliflower was out of this world.
Try adding a bit of sumac to the sauce.
Incredible! It does taste just like at the restaurant. I’m feeling very accomplished after making this recipe. It is very simple…because I had your recipe to follow. Thanks very much for documenting your exploration and discovery. Delicious!
Made this today and it’s just perfect!
So delicious!
Yay!!
Just curious, I love this dish and judging by the reviews you’ve done a great job replicating it, but it seems a but crazy to me that a Lebanese cauliflower dish would have zero spices in it… No cumin, sumac or anything!?
The squeeze of lemon juice and a little dip into the tahini sauce is all the cauliflower needs. It’s really good. But I do think that a sprinkle of sumac after you fry the cauliflower would be delicious. 🙂
Hi!!
I am sooooo excited to make this tonight! I need to go the baked route, despite knowing the texture will be less delicious. Could you advise what temp and for how long I should put it in? Do I still use corn starch?
Thanks so much!
When I roast cauliflower I cook it at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. You might want to check out this recipe for roasted cauliflower. 🙂 https://www.theendlessmeal.com/easy-roasted-italian-cauliflower/
This recipe is dead on! I make
It an air fryer and turns out perfect and the most closest I’ve ever gotten to Nuba!
So great to know this can be made in an air fryer!!
I want to try making this in my air fryer. Did you toss the cauliflower in a little bit of oil before putting it in the air fryer? Did you still use the cornstarch?
Thank you for the help!
I just ate this at Nuba last night and this morning I woke up to try and find a recipe to make it. The cauliflower and the carrot dip riddled my dreams last night. I’m so glad I found this! Thank you!!
It’s really the best, isn’t it?!!
So simple, delicious and healthy I all but dream about this fabulous dish.
That makes me so happy to hear!
This sounds like a lovely recipe and I really want to try it! Unfortunately, I don’t have a cooking thermometer. Is there any other way I can estimate when the oil is hot enough to use?
Yes! Take a small piece of bread and put it into the oil. If it browns in 1 minute then the oil is hot enough. If the oil starts to smoke at all immediately remove it from the heat.
This turned out REALLY well. I used a Philips air fryer – 12 minutes at 390 degrees. Additionally I used curry flavored olive oil and two teaspoons of Ellbee’s Asian Zing gourmet garlic. Amazing. The tahini sauce coagulated when I added the lemon juice but some extra olive oil and water did the trick. Yum!
Such a great idea to use an Air Fryer! I seriously need to get one. 🙂
Right on the dot.Best & excellent- SAHTINE
Thanks so much!
Thanks! I made this tonight, followed your instructions and everything went just perfectly. I have largely avoided deep frying in an open pan – my father once started to make fries and then fell asleep on the couch with fairly disastrous results so I’ve had a healthy fear ever since. Thankfully your great oil temp instructions gave me the confidence to do this without undue anxiety (though I did make sure I had a lid and silicone mitts handy just in case…
Delicious, and just like Nuba. I will make this again for sure!
I’m so happy you liked it! And I hope your dad was ok after that incident. That’s scary!
I am making this as I type, without Tahini sauce. We love Nuba and this cauliflower dish! I cannot keep the heat at 300 Celcius, as well as I prefer not to completely kill the nutrition of the cauliflower. LOVE THIS!!! my fire alarm went off. I am keeping all doors and windows open until this is done.
Isn’t Nuba cauliflower the best? I hope you love my version just as much!!
The temps are in fahrenheit!! 300C is 572F! No wonder you’re having trouble.
You’re absolutely right! I hadn’t caught that in the last comment. Heating the oil that high would be dangerous! I’ll have a look thought the post to see if there is any way I can make that more clear. Thank you for noting that!