Chinese Cauliflower Stir Fry (干锅菜花)
If you like veggies and bold flavor, this Sichuan style Chinese cauliflower dish should definitely be on your radar. These crunchy cauliflower bites are cooked in a numbing spicy sauce that is so rich. Even though this recipe is vegan, I’ve included notes on how to add different types of protein, to make a more substantial dish for your dinner. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 1 small head (18 oz./500g) Chinese cauliflower ((or regular cauliflower))
- 2 tbsp peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- 5 dried chili peppers ((Optional))
- 2 shallots (, sliced (or 1/2 white onion))
- 4 clove garlic (, minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (, minced)
- 2 tbsp Doubanjiang ((spicy fermented bean paste), or 1 tablespoon for a less spicy and less salty dish (*Footnote 1))
- 1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock ((or water))
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
- 2
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- 3
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large carbon steel (or non stick skillet) over medium-high heat until hot. Add the dried chili peppers, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add the Doubanjiang and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir to roast the doubanjiang, for 1 minute or so, or until the aromatics are evenly coated. If the doubanjiang looks dry and starts to burn, pour in a spoonful of Shaoxing wine (or water) and stir to bring down the pan temperature.
- 4
Add the cauliflower. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- 5
Pour in the sauce. Stir again to mix well. Cover the pan. Let steam until the cauliflower turns tender. It takes 6 to 8 minutes to cook through Chinese cauliflower, and 3 to 4 minutes to cook through regular cauliflower. Check on the cauliflower every 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a few times when you check it. Add a bit of water or veggie broth if the pan gets too dry.
- 6
Uncover. If there’s still a lot of liquid in the pan, you can turn up the heat, cook and stir a few more times to let the liquid evaporate. Transfer everything to a plate.
- 7
Serve hot as a side or main dish over steamed rice.