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This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is a crowd pleaser! Cauliflower is battered and baked , then coated in sticky spicy sesame sauce and baked again. Serve as is or with rice or in lettuce cups. Vegan Gluten-free Nut-free Refined sugar free RecipeĀ Jump to Recipe
When you need some sticky sweet tangy delicious sauced something, cauliflower fits right in. Cauliflower florets are tossed in a rice flour and starch batter and baked to crisp. The sticky sesame sauce uses sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy/tamari, vinegar, maple syrup and some sriracha for heat for a addictive flavor profile. Brush this sticky sauce on the baked cauliflower and serve, or bake again for more sticky crispy cauliflower!
Serve it over rice, by itself or in lettuce wraps! I use sesame oil in the batter and the sauce for extra sesame flavor profile. For additional protein, add in some firm tofu, seitan or soycurls with the cauliflower. Lets make this!
Ingredients for Sticky Sesame Cauliflower and substitution options
- The Sticky Sesame Sauce has sesame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari/soy sauce, maple syrup for sweet, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and starch to thicken.
- You can use coconut aminos to make this soy-free
- Maple syrup can be subbed with sugar or other sweetener
- Omit the Sriracha for lower heat.
- The batter for the crispy cauliflower has ā
- rice flour, that makes the batter crisp and non doughy on baking. You can use a mix of half all purpose flour and half starch as a substitute.
- corn or tapioca starch to add lighter and crisp texture
- sesame oil for more sesame profile
- black pepper, salt and garlic for flavor
- garnished of lightly toasted white sesame and black sesame seeds and scallions.
How to make Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet or dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, assemble the sauce ingredients. Saute the ginger and garlic in sesame oil for a minute, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha and maple syrup and bring to a boil.
Add cornstarch slurry and cook to thicken.
Brush the sticky thick sauce on the cauliflower florets or add the florets to the sauce and mix gently. Then bake again.
Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve over rice.
Tips to make Crispy Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
- For a nicely crispy result, bake the cauliflower on a baking sheet.
- Bake the sauce coated cauliflower for longer.
- Use smaller size cauliflower florets
If you plan to serve the sauced cauliflower without baking, you can add another tsp starch for extra thick sauce that will glaze the cauliflower.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Taco Spice roasted Cauliflower
- Spicy Pepper Cauliflower Bites
- Mango Sriracha Cauliflower
- Aloo Gobi ā Baked
- Nashville Cauliflower Bites
- Kung Pao Cauliflower
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Recipe (Gluten free Vegan)
IngredientsĀ Ā
Sesame Soy Sauce:
- 2Ā tsp. sesame oil
- 2Ā tspĀ fresh grated ginger
- 2Ā cloves of garlic, , minced
- 1/4 cupĀ gluten-free tamari , or soy sauce
- 1/3Ā cupĀ maple syrup
- 1.5 tbspĀ rice vinegar
- 1Ā tspĀ sriracha
- 2 tspĀ cornstarch or 1.5 tsp tapioca starch
- 1/4Ā cupĀ cold water
Cauliflower:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca or corn starch.
- 1/2Ā teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4Ā teaspoonĀ salt
- dash of black pepper and cayenne
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1Ā small head of cauliflower, , chopped into equal size florets
- Garnish: sesame seeds and scallions
InstructionsĀ
- Sticky Sesame Sauce: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Cook the garlic ginger for a minute. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple and bring to boil. Mix cornstarch in the water and add this cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil to thicken, Take off heat.
- Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 deg F ( 220 C). Line a baking sheet or dish with parchment. In a large bowl add the dry ingredients for the batter and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients and min until smooth.
- Add the cauliflower and mix to coat. This batter keeps thickening as it sits, so mix and toss quickly.
- Transfer to the the lined baking sheet. and bake for 30 mins. Make the sticky sauce in the meanwhile if you havent yet.
- Once baked, you can do one of the following: 1. Brush the sauce over the cauliflower florets and bake for additional 10 to 15 mins (time depends on how crisp and sticky you want the sauce)2. Wait for a few mins then transfer the florets to the sauce. Mix gently to coat. Serve immediately or transfer to the baking sheet to bake for 10 to 15 mins.
- Sprinkle black and white sesame seeds and chopped scallions and serve as is, or over rice or in lettuce wraps!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi. Trying this for the first time tonight. Read the recipe many times. Realized you forgot to say āadd srirachaā in the sauce mixture. Itās listed as an ingredient and shown in the video but not mentioned in the instructions. Just wanted you to know.
thanks Mindy
Thanks for this recipe. Unfortunately it was much too sweet for my preference. Also, I didnāt feel the extra work of battering and baking really made a difference to the crispness of the cauliflower (I followed the twice-baked instructions). I have enjoyed your other recipes and will continue to experiment!
This was ridiculously good and easy. Oh my god. My taste buds cannot believe what they just had! I didnāt have Sriracha so I didnāt use it. It didnāt make a difference to me as I like my food mild anyway. Iāll be making this again and again. Yum!
Whatās a good substitute for rice flour?
if you are ok with gluten, then use regular all purpose flour
Excellent! Crispy and tastes great. You have to really get the batter all over the cauliflower and into the crevices otherwise the batter will fall off. But even then, the crunchy pieces of flour cook and taste great once cooked. My daughter has a sesame allergy so I used sunflower oil and skipped the sesame seeds, but it still tasted delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
Iām really looking forward to making this today but only have corn flour not cornstarch, and no tapioca starch or other options available. What would recommend I use instead please?
no problem ā you can use the corn flour or regular flour, arrowroot, potato starch, or rice flour would work.
Hi Richa, thank you for your reply.
I used regular plain flour (or all purpose as Americans call it) and it worked but I didnāt like the consistency that much. I think Iāll give corn flour or add rice flour next time.
Tasted lovely though ā would like to try it with tofu too next time!
I like I lot of your record and have 2 of your books too.. thanks so much for providing so many recipes for free on your website.
Thanks for getting the books! Rice flour def gives a better texture than all purpose which can tend to get gummy.
Super delicious! I used regular flour and worked out great!
Thank you for another winner Richa!
Will brown rice flour work for the rice flour?
Hi! Thank you so much to sharing this recipe! Iām looking forward to trying this, however, I could not help to stop and wonder about the listed caloric amount per serving. Is it in ākcalā or ācal?ā One part mentions it is 229kcal (which is well over 200,000cal) and under the Nutrition Facts, it mentions it is 229 calories. Please make it clear how many calories per serving this recipe calls for. I would greatly appreciate it!
your welcome! each serving is 229 calories. kcal and cal are essentially the same just different abbreviations.
Hey Richa!
Any other GF suggestions as a substitute for rice flour? I have buckwheat or almond flour. Would either of these work?
I was hoping to make rice flour in my vitamix but I realize I only have jasmine rice!
Thanks,
Sarit
buckwheat or almond will not work but cassava will.