Kung Pao Cauliflower (宫保菜花)
This kung pao cauliflower (宫保菜花) is my vegetarian version of the Sichuan classic, made with cauliflower roasted in oil until charred and tossed in a wok with Sichuan peppercorns, dried Chinese chilies, fresh ginger and garlic, bell pepper, green onion, and roasted peanuts in a balanced savory sweet sauce.
Ingredients
Roasting
- 1 head cauliflower , cored and cut into 1.5" (4-cm) florets
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , and extra oil spray, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons distilled vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese chili oil
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stovetop cooking
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 4 dried Chinese chili peppers , halved crosswise and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 bell pepper , cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces
- 4 green onions , cut into 1/2” (1-cm) long pieces
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the cauliflower into a big bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and salt. Toss to coat well. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, arrange the cauliflower to face the cut side down. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip the cauliflower. Keep roasting for another 10 to 12 minutes until the cauliflower is fully cooked through and the surface has browned. If the cauliflower looks dry during roasting, you can add extra oil spray to keep the cauliflower roasting well.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
- When the cauliflower is roasted, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the cauliflowers into a big plate.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat until shimmering. Add the ground Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, ginger, and garlic. Cook until very fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the pepper and green onion. Stir and cook for 1 minute, or up to 2 minutes if you prefer the pepper to taste more tender.
- Stir the sauce again until the cornstarch is dissolved completely, pour into the skillet. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add back the cauliflower and peanuts. Toss everything together until mixed well. Transfer to a large serving plate and serve hot.
Notes
- It’s important to cut the cauliflower to the right size to ensure even roasting and browning. See the blog post above to see how to cut the cauliflower.
- It’s very important to leave some space between the cauliflower florets, so the cauliflower will release steam and turn crispy once baked. If your baking tray does not have enough space, bake the rest in a separate tray. You can bake both trays at the same time by place the smaller tray on a different rack.
- If you’re not serving the dish immediately, let the cauliflower cool off for a bit before tossing in the sauce. The cauliflower will stay crispy better this way.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.3g, Protein: 9.2g, Fat: 37.1g, Saturated Fat: 5.8g, Sodium: 941mg, Potassium: 718mg, Fiber: 6.1g, Sugar: 12.6g, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg