Stir-fried Cauliflower with Tomato Sauce
This quick and easy stir fried cauliflower with tomato features crunchy cauliflower covered in a sweet and sour tomato sauce. It is a side dish that’s easy to put together and brings big flavor to your table. {Gluten-Free, Vegan}
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 10 oz (300 g) Chinese cauliflower florets (about 1/2 head cauliflower) (* see footnote 1)
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tomato , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl of water and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower and boil for 2 minutes, until the stem is half cooked, without getting too tender. Turn off heat and immediately transfer cauliflower to the bowl of water to cool down. This will stop the cauliflower from continuing to cook and help it stay crisp. Drain the cauliflower thoroughly.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic, stir a few times until fragrant.
- Add the tomato. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are very softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix well. Add sugar accordingly to adjust flavor of sauce (* see footnote 2).
- Add cauliflower back into the skillet and sprinkle with the salt. Carefully use a spatula to mix everything together, until the cauliflower is fully covered with the tomato sauce and the cauliflower has reached the desired doneness. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or sugar if needed. Transfer everything to a plate and serve hot as a main dish.
Notes
- You can replace the long stem Chinese cauliflower with regular white cauliflower. Regular white cauliflower is softer than long stem. Shorten cooking time by blanching it for 1 minute instead of 2 in step 1. During stir-frying, mix the sauce in a gentle manner, to avoid breaking the florets.
- The amount of sugar you should add depends on the flavor of the tomato and your preference. If you use seasonal local tomatoes, you might only need 1/2 teaspoon sugar. If you don't like a sweet dish, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon or less. You can always adjust the flavor by adding more sugar in the end. The dish tastes best when sugar is well balanced with the sour flavor of the tomato, but doesn't overwhelm it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.4g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Sodium: 30mg, Potassium: 339mg, Fiber: 2.3g, Sugar: 5.1g, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg