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Vegan Kung Pao Cauliflower

Recipe

A Chinese Sichuan classic. This quick and easy spicy Kung Pao dish is a vegan stir-fry made with cauliflower, vegetables, cashew nuts, and chilies.

Serves: 4 people   |   Prep time: 20 minutes   |   Cooking time: 20 minutes

Chinese   |   Main   |   Dairy Free   |   Vegetarian   |   Vegan

  

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Cauliflower
  • 150g Plain Flour
  • 40g Cornflour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • Juice from 1 Lime
  • 250ml Sparkling Water, chilled
  • 15ml Soy Sauce
  • 1 pack 3 Mixed Peppers
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 1 Green Chilli, approx. 14g
  • 50ml Soy Sauce
  • 50ml Hoisin Sauce
  • 20ml Lemon Juice
  • 100g Cashew Nuts
  • 60ml Sunflower Oil
  • Sea Salt and White Pepper

To Fry

  • Vegetable Oil

  

Method

  1. Cut the peppers into slices, discarding any seeds and white pith.
  2. Peel, halve and slice the red onion.
  3. Peel and mince the garlic.
  4. Chop the chilli finely, retaining the seeds.
  5. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok and fry the peppers, onions, garlic, cashew nuts and chilli for 5 minutes, turning as you cook until slightly browned.
  6. Then, add the hoisin sauce and soy sauce along with the lemon juice and stir well.
  7. Put the vegetables to one side and keep warm while you cook the cauliflower.
  8. Fill a deep frying pan with 3cm of vegetable oil and heat to 150oC. You can test the temperature by dropping a small cube of bread into the oil – when it sizzles you are ready to cook.
  9. Break the cauliflower up into florets of approx. 25g each.
  10. In a bowl, mix the plain flour, cornflour, chilli powder and baking powder. Season with some sea salt and white pepper, then whisk well.
  11. Add the sparkling water, lime juice and remaining soy sauce and mix to a batter with a fork. If the batter is lumpy, that’s fine.
  12. Drop the florets into the batter and then into the hot oil. Fry in batches for 5-6 minutes until golden.
  13. Serve on a bed of the pepper stir fry.