General Tso’s Cauliflower

Crispy cauliflower in a sweet chili sauce is the best way to describe this sticky sweet and addictive General Tso’s Cauliflower and I wont be wrong if I say that this is better than take out!Its Vegan and Gluten Free too!

The current new favorite of everyone, the new found super veggie that has replaced Kale from it spotlight – yes, it is Cauliflower. Super veggie or not, this vegetable has been a favorite in our household always. Whether I toss it with the very versatile potatoes and perfumed with spices to make the delicious Aloo Gobhi or just roast with with any favorite combo of herbs or spices or allow it to share its spotlight with other veggies all swimming in a lightly spiced coconut sauce – a vegetable Kurma, we love it in all forms!

But the star dish that was made with cauliflower was Gobi Manchurian – the famously favorite preparation of batter fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy garlicky sauce, a dish that signifies all that Indo-Chinese cuisine stands for!

This General Tso’s Cauliflower was a happy accident. I planned to make Gobi Manchurian but kinda changed it at the last minute to this, as I had some left over sweet chili sauce from the previous day and I didn’t need that much sweetness for the Manchurian. I also did not want to make a very batter-y coating for the fried cauliflower, so I just tossed it with a little corn flour, salt and pepper and deep fried it twice. Deep frying it twice – frying once, draining and then frying it again to make it extra crispy and for it maintain that crispiness even when doused in the sauce.

I didn’t feel the need to add the flour to coat the cauliflower and it worked just fine, making it a little lighter too. This recipe is Vegan and Gluten Free too.

Here are some of our other favorite Gluten Free and Vegan recipes!

{ THE LINKS IN THE RECIPE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS. I GET A SMALL COMMISSION WHEN YOU CLICK AND BUY THROUGH THEM BUT AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. I ALWAYS AND ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS THAT I PERSONALLY USE AND LOVE }

Everyone loves this recipe on Pinterest. Pin to one of yours boards to save for later : find the popular pin for General Tso’s Cauliflower here.

General Tso's Cauliflower

Course: Vegetable Sides

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 591 kcal

Author: Manju | Cooking Curries

Better than take out General Tso's Cauliflower

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 head organic cauliflower rinsed and cut into florets
• 1/3 cup organic corn flour / corn starch
• salt to taste
• crushed black pepper to taste
• 3 cups or enough sunflower / coconut oil for deep frying
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 1/2 tbsp crushed red chillies
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp shaohsing wine / shaoxing wine / Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tsp soy sauce gluten free
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp organic ketchup
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Toss the cauliflower with the corn flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep wok / pan and fry the cauliflower in a couple of batches, till crispy. Drain and keep aside. Fry the already fried cauliflower another time and drain again on paper towels.
2. In another deep pan or a wok, heat the grapeseed oil and add the garlic to it. Once the garlic starts browning a little, add the ginger, red chillies, brown sugar, shaohsing wine, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and ketchup. Whisk away till they all mix well together and the sugar melts. It should become a sticky, glazed sauce. Check for salt and add more if needed.
3. Toss the fried cauliflower in this while on low heat. Switch off heat, garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

General Tso's Cauliflower

Amount Per Serving

Calories 591 Calories from Fat 360

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 40g 62%

Saturated Fat 29g 145%

Sodium 441mg 18%

Potassium 345mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 58g 19%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 31g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 39.8%

Vitamin C 21.6%

Calcium 6.8%

Iron 9.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.