Sweet ‘N’ Sticky Cauliflower Florets with a Cooling Coconut Dip

Áine Carlin

Sweet ‘N’ Sticky Cauliflower Florets in a grey wok with a cucumber coconut yoghurt dip in a bowl on the side

Serves 4

Print recipe

Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 30 mins
Ready time 50 mins

Think of this as the ultimate cauliflower dish that’ll have you coming back for more!

Ratings

(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Ingredients

For the cauliflower

70 g panko breadcrumbs
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

For the batter

70 g gram (chickpea) or rice flour
pinch of sea salt flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
juice of ½ lemon
150 ml soy milk

For the gochujang dressing

2 heaped tablespoons gochujang (Korean red
chilli paste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider (or rice wine) vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
50 ml water, plus extra if necessary

For the cooling coconut dipping sauce

150 g coconut yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
pinch of pink Himalayan salt or sea salt flakes

To serve

½ cucumber, finely sliced
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan)/475°F (425F fan)/gas mark 9 (gas mark 7 fan) and line a baking tray with foil or baking paper.

Place the ingredients for the coconut dipping sauce in a blender and blitz together until smooth (alternatively, vigorously whisk them together in a bowl until combined). Refrigerate until needed.

To make the batter, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.

Place the panko breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse briefly to break up any large pieces. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Dip a cauliflower floret first in the batter and shake off any excess before dredging in the panko crumbs and placing on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the florets, then bake for 25 minutes, turning once, until crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, place the gochujang dressing ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and glossy, adding a splash more water if the dressing looks as though it is getting too thick. Keep warm over a low heat.

Transfer the baked cauliflower to a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss to coat, then scatter over the cucumber slices and sesame seeds to finish. Serve with the coconut dipping sauce.

Additional notes

From Cook Share Eat Vegan by Áine Carlin, published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £20

Photography by Danielle Wood

“Whether it’s griddled, baked, or even blitzed into ‘rice’, I’ve found a multitude of uses for cauliflower but none of them have quite had that ‘knock-yer-socks-off’ effect that this one possesses. Gochujang may seem like a speciality ingredient but thankfully it’s now widely available in supermarkets. I guarantee this spicy Korean paste will soon become a staple – I like to dollop it into stews to boost flavour. Think of this as the ultimate cauliflower dish that’ll have you coming back for more.”

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