While I’ve been working on eating healthy and getting back in shape, I’ve seen quite a few people making Teriyaki or Sesame cauliflower. Although cauliflower wasn’t really on my radar much outside of trying them buffalo style, I figured I would give it a shot. It would give me something new to try and it wasn’t expensive to make at all.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 box of tempura batter
- 3/4 cups water
- Fresh cauliflower, sliced (you can use the florets that come in a bag, they work just as well)
- Ginger (you can use the ground variety but I prefer it freshly diced or minced)
- Garlic
- Salt
- Black pepper
- A pinch of white pepper
- Sesame oil, peanut oil or vegetable oil
- Orange sauce
- Sesame seeds (I had black ones in the cabinet and used them anyway)
I did use a Panda Express orange chicken sauce that you can buy at the grocery store. It’s easy to find and I didn’t want to have leftover sauce that I might not be able to store for longer than a few days. If you want to make your own sauce that’s similar to it, I recommend the recipe for it by Dinner then Dessert.
Ingredients for orange sauce:
- 1½ tbsp ginger root
- minced 2 tsp garlic
- minced ½ tsp hot red chili pepper
- 4 crushed green onions, chopped from tip to tail (not including root)
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp water
- 10 tbsp sugar ( you can cut the sugar in half based on your taste preference)
- 10 tbsp white vinegar
- zest of 2 oranges
Here’s what you need to do:
I eyeball the seasonings in the batter, but you can adjust them to your preference. Combine the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper to the tempura batter. Pour water in slowly and stir until it’s nice consistency. Not too thick and not too watery. Lightly pour some oil into a frying pan, turn on your stove and while the oil is getting hot, toss your cauliflower into the batter and coat it evenly. I tend to do a double coat, but I like mine with some extra body to it. Place one piece of cauliflower in the oil to test if it’s hot enough (it should be). Start to place the rest of your cauliflower in the oil and let it fry until it’s golden and crispy. When all of the cauliflower is fried, place it on a few paper towels to soak up excess oil. Place it in a bowl, pour in your sauce and toss the cauliflower until evenly coated. Place on a plate and sprinkle sesame seeds and you’re done. Enjoy!
