Description
This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower recipe is a delicious vegan dish featuring crispy baked cauliflower florets coated in a flavorful sticky sesame sauce. Perfect as a main or side, it combines a light, crispy batter with a sweet, tangy, and spicy glaze made from tamari, maple syrup, and sriracha. The dish is enhanced with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame seeds for added texture and aroma.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup plant-based milk (e.g., almond milk)
Cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower, around 6 cups florets
Sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp Sriracha
Cornstarch Slurry
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup water
Sauté
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
Garnish
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Mix Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and plant-based milk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Prepare Cauliflower: Trim and chop the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets, ensuring they are roughly equal in size for even baking.
- Batter Cauliflower: Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, fully coating it, and then place them spaced out on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake Cauliflower: Bake the battered cauliflower in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until they turn crispy and slightly golden.
- Make Sauce: While cauliflower bakes, whisk together tomato paste, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, and sriracha in a bowl to combine the sticky sauce ingredients.
- Prepare Cornstarch Slurry: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; this will be used to thicken the sauce later.
- Cook Sauce: Heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté diced onion, minced garlic, and grated ginger until aromatic and softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and cornstarch slurry to the skillet, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Combine: Once the cauliflower is baked and crispy, toss the florets in the thickened sticky sesame sauce until fully coated.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the coated cauliflower and serve immediately as a delicious vegan main or side dish.
Notes
- For gluten-free option, use gluten-free baking flour and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Adjust Sriracha amount to control the level of spiciness in the sauce.
- Serves well as a snack, appetizer, or main dish alongside rice or noodles.
- To save time, prepare the sauce while the cauliflower bakes.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
