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
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This is the first time I’ve made a cauliflower recipe! Recently I tried Spicy Fried Cauliflower in a Lebanese restaurant in Cleveland Ohio and can’t stop thinking about it since. I have several questions, please
— when do you use the sauce? Coat the veggie pieces before cooking or serve it as a dip?
— since I am not frying, but using the air frying setting in my oven: should the veg be tossed in the corn starch and then oil, or the other way around?
Thanks!
Hi Susan! There is no sauce in this recipe, but if you wanted to serve it with a dip, that would be tasty. Since it sounds like you’re making roasted cauliflower, I would just toss it with a little oil and salt. You won’t get the all over golden crispy cauliflower like you see in these photos, but roasted cauliflower is also wonderful.
We moved from Vancouver to Calgary and I just want to say: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
Wow, that’s a big move—congratulations! I’m so happy this recipe could bring a little comfort your way. Thank YOU for sharing that with me! 😊🏔️❤️
Thank you for sharing this recipe. We are trying to learn how to do some copycats of Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill from Houston, Texas. Because it’s just so expensive to eat out now, so this recipe will help teach us how to do something like one of their dishes.
This is so good! I have been skipping the corn starch, adding some garlic powder and putting it in my air fryer.