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Skip the takeout and make a lighter version at home. This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is battered and baked to perfection, then smothered in a spicy, sticky-sweet sauce. It’s heavenly!
Cauliflower has been trending for a couple of years now and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. It’s one of the most versatile vegetables and many people use it as a healthier replacement to pizza crust, rice, mashed potatoes, meat, creamy sauces and so much more.
The internet is bursting with delicious cauliflower recipes and my Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole and Vegan Alfredo Sauce are just a few of what’s out there. Anything is possible!
So, if you’ve always been a fan of Sesame Chicken takeout, you’re going to love this recipe. It’s much lighter, but all the flavors are still there. It’s baked instead of fried, and I used a minimal amount of high-sodium ingredients.
You won’t be missing a thing!
HOW TO MAKE STICKY SESAME CAULIFLOWER
(full ingredient amount in recipe card below)
- Cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, milk, water, and salt to create a thick, but pourable batter.
- Place a handful of cauliflower in the bowl and toss to coat.
- Lightly shake excess batter off each piece OR place a bunch of battered cauliflower on a cooling rack to drain.
- Bake at 425° F (220° C) for 20 minutes and flip midway through.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add the tamari, agave, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Whisk and bring to a light simmer.
- Whisk the cornstarch and vegetable broth and pour into pan. Simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky (about 5 minutes).
- Add cauliflower and toss to coat. Top with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH THIS SESAME CAULIFLOWER DISH?
Anything goes! I typically serve it over rice, but you can serve it over quinoa, couscous, or even cauliflower rice.
You can eat it as is, or top it with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cilantro or anything your taste buds crave.
SUBSTITUTION IDEAS
Want to make it gluten-free? Just swap out the all-purpose for a 1.1 gluten-free flour. Make sure to use a gluten-free tamari sauce too.
Want to make this soy-free? Just swap out the tamari for Coconut Aminos. It’s just as delicious!
Want to make it oil-free? You can omit the sesame oil in the sauce. Just add 1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds to the sauce. Make sure the vegetable broth is oil-free too.
INTERESTED IN MORE TAKEOUT-INSPIRED MEALS? HERE ARE MY FAVES:
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this Sticky Sesame Cauliflower, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower , cut into bite-sized florets (about 1.5 lbs)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk , unsweetened
- 1/2 cup water , more if needed
Sauce
- 1/4 cup tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup agave nectar (sub maple syrup or light brown sugar)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , peeled and grated (sub frozen or paste)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
For Serving (Optional)
- 3 green onions , sliced
- 2-3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Preheat over to 425° F (220° C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Now pour in the milk and water and whisk to combine well. The batter should be thick, but still pourable. If it's too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Place a handful of cauliflower in the bowl and toss to coat well. Lightly shake off excess batter and place on baking sheet, leaving room in between each piece. (to make it faster, I put a bunch of battered cauliflower on a cooling rack to drain with parchment paper underneath) Place in the oven for 20 minutes to lightly crisp. Flip over pieces at the halfway mark.
Sauce
- To a large pan over medium heat, add the tamari, agave, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Whisk to combine well and bring to a slight simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and vegetable broth and pour it into the pan. Let it simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky. About 5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning and turn down the heat if needed.
- Add the baked cauliflower and toss to coat well. Remove from heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds if preferred. Top on rice and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Melissa Huggins
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Kara
June 7, 2019 at 7:05 amThis dish was excellent. My husband said, “We could serve this to guests.” As vegans, we don’t often invite people over for dinner, but I guess now we can.
Melissa Huggins
June 8, 2019 at 12:09 pmHi Kara, this is such a lovely compliment! I’m so glad you both loved it. Thank you 🙂
Joeyduck
May 7, 2019 at 4:58 amThis was so good. I didn’t have any sriracha and I did add just a tiny pit of brown sugar. It was very filling and my crappy meat eating husband even said “That’s not bad” LOL
Joeyduck
May 7, 2019 at 5:00 amWow I should have proofread my post. “tiny bid of brown sugar” and “my crabby meat eating husband”
Melissa Huggins
May 7, 2019 at 8:15 amYour comment was the first thing I saw this morning! I loved the typo and it made me chuckle! Thank you for giving the recipe a try. I’m glad your hubby liked it too 🙂
Vegan.mama
May 2, 2019 at 3:04 pmGreat recipe – I added a tablespoon of peanut butter – fabulous!
Melissa Huggins
May 2, 2019 at 3:34 pmThank you so much! It sounds wonderful with the peanut butter. I’m totally trying that next time 🙂
Catherine
April 28, 2019 at 5:23 pmWow, what a fabulous recipe. It was so fun and easy to make, I was really excited to sit down with a big bowl. Nice spice.
Cathy
April 28, 2019 at 5:20 pmMade this tonight Melissa. Just delicious. Chinese food near us isn’t always good so I like to find good, light Asian recipes. Thanks for another great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
April 28, 2019 at 7:22 pmHi Cathy, I’m so happy you liked it! We don’t have any good Chinese food places near us either. We have to drive pretty far, so I like making it at home. Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Jani Revas
April 24, 2019 at 7:26 pmI’m making these as I write this. Its rare I have all the ingredients to make a recipe but I do this time. Cant wait thisnoooks so good.