Sweet 'n' sour cauliflower recipe
Saucy and spicy, this sweet 'n' sour cauliflower is the Chinese-inspired veggie main of dreams. Created by Fred Foster, the founder of Borough Market vegetable wholesalers (and fabulous restaurant) Turnips, it's the perfect dish to whip up as part of a Friday night fakeaway.
"This dish of spicy, fried cauliflower has been on the menu since the first day we opened our restaurant and I’m not sure if we’ll ever take it off – our customers absolutely love it, " says Fred. "Like many of my recipes, it is super easy and super tasty, and works just as well with broccoli, if you fancy that instead (or as well).
"The glaze will keep for weeks in a jar in the fridge, so it’s worth making a double batch so that you always have it on hand to fulfil your desire for sweet-and-sour deep-fried vegetables."
Ingredients
- 1 l sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 150 ml rice wine vinegar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp gochujang paste
- 1 large cauliflower, trimmed and cut into thumb-size florets
- 1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp snipped chives, to serve
- 100 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 100 g cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp curry powder
- 250 ml sparkling water
Details
- Cuisine: Chinese-inspired
- Recipe Type: Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Heat 1-2 tbsps of the oil in a frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for about 3-5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the vinegar, sugar and sesame oil, mix to combine and continue cooking until reduced by half. The mixture will be sticky and the consistency of runny honey. Add 2 tbsps of the gochujang, taste and add more if you like extra heat. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and leave to cool.
- Heat the remaining oil to 180°C/350°F either in a deep-sided saucepan or deep-fat fryer.
- Meanwhile, tip the cauliflower into a bowl and dust it with the tbsp of plain flour to lightly coat.
- To make the tempura batter, mix the flour, cornflour (cornstarch), bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), salt, ground coriander and curry powder in a bowl. Add the sparkling water, then whisk to combine to a thick-ish paste that will coat the cauliflower without running off.
- Working in batches, dip the cauliflower florets into the tempura batter to coat, then drop them into the hot oil and deep-fry until crisp and golden brown all over (about 2-3 minutes). Remove each batch of the cauliflower from the oil using a slotted spoon and set it aside to drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt. Once you’ve fried and seasoned all the cauliflower, transfer it to a serving bowl and pour over the sweet and sour sauce to coat. Scatter with the chives and serve.
Recipe extracted from Turnips' Edible Almanac by Fred Foster (DK, £27). Photography by Matt Russell.
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