Crispy, battered cauliflower combined with stir-fried capsicum, onions, and peanuts in a tasty homemade sauce. Top with spring onion and sesame seeds and serve with rice or noodles for a flavoursome, easy meal.
A spicy stir fry that packs a tasty punch! Kung Pao Cauliflower is made with crispy baked cauliflower, stir-fried vegetables, peanuts and fragrant peppers with a tangy sweet and sour sauce. You can serve with your choice of noodles or steamed rice.
Kung Pao originated from the Sichuan provenance in China (well-known for their spicy cuisine!). I love using Sichuan pepper in my meals. If you do too, take a look at my Black Pepper Tofu.
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Ingredient notes:
- Sichuan Pepper: A traditional spice used in South West China where the Kung Pao dish originates. Sichuan pepper is a tongue-tingling and fragrant, peppery spice. It's quite a unique flavour, so if you can get your hands on some I highly recommend it. If you can't find it you can substitute for black pepper but it won't be as tasty!
- Chilli Flakes: These are easy to find in most major supermarkets. But if you have dried whole chillis, you can use them too. I recommend 3-4 depending on how much spice you like.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower is the hero of this meat-free dish. However, this dish is commonly made with chicken too. You could give it a go with chicken and marinate it in a half recipe of the batter for 30 minutes before frying.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat oven to 220°C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper. Chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl.
Batter: Mix together the batter ingredients until smooth, then pour over the cauliflower pieces. Stir to coat.
Evenly spread the cauliflower out on the lined tray, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a jug and set aside.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Add all of the stir fry ingredients except the spring onions and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until starting to brown.
Add the garlic and spring onions, fry for another minute. Then add the sauce and continue to stir as it starts to thicken.
Add the crispy cauliflower to the pan, stir to coat. Serve with steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and extra spring onion.
Recipe FAQs:
Kung Pao cauliflower is a vegetarian dish inspired by the traditional Chinese Kung Pao chicken. It is made with battered cauliflower florets that are stir-fried with other vegetables in a homemade sauce, generally made with chillis and Sichaun peppercorns (which are from the Sichuan region in China).
Yes, this dish can be spicy. However, the level of spiciness can be adjusted to suit your personal preference by varying the amount of chilli or sichuan pepper that you use.
I like to use Hokkien noodles, you can just stir them through for a few minutes at the end and you're done, easy peasy and no pre-cooking required. It's not a very saucy dish, so if you want to serve with rice I recommend making a bit extra, like 1½ of the sauce recipe.
Storage:
Store any leftover Kung Pao cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. However, it is best eaten fresh, so the cauliflower stays crispy. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.
This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
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Kung Pao Cauliflower
Cauliflower coated in a homemade batter then baked until crispy, combined with stir-fried veggies in a homemade peppery sauce. Serve with rice and fresh spring onion.
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
Batter
- 1⁄3 cup cornflour
- 4 Tbsp plain flour
- 1⁄3 cup cold water
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Sauce
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1⁄4 cup cold water
Stir fry
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 red capsicum, sliced
- 1⁄2 cup roasted peanuts
- 1⁄2 onion, diced
- 1 tsp ground sichuan pepper (or black)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C fan bake. Line a tray with baking paper. Chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl.
- Batter: Mix together the batter ingredients until smooth, then pour over the cauliflower pieces. Stir to coat.
- Evenly spread the cauliflower out on the lined tray, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a jug and set aside.
- Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Add all of the stir fry ingredients except the spring onions and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until starting to brown.
- Add the garlic and spring onions, fry for another minute. Then add the sauce and continue to stir as it starts to thicken.
- Add the crispy cauliflower to the pan, stir to coat. Serve with steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and extra spring onion.
Notes
- This tasty dish can be served with steamed white rice, brown rice or noodles.
- This meal can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. However, it is best eaten fresh so the cauliflower stays crispy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1201mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 6gSugar: 12gProtein: 10g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Brenda says
Made this for tea tonight with chicken and hokkien noodles and it was delicious! Thanks! Will be making this again.