Cauliflower is a revelatory vegetable if you know how to cook with it! Here it shapes up as a very craveable vegan take on classic buffalo wings, albeit with an umami-rich twist. The result is nothing short of spectacular – Asian inspired cauliflower wings that are spicy, sticky and garlicky in equal parts! Serve these as a snack or appetiser, or even as part of a hearty main course, piled over rice.
Steps For Making These Spicy Asian Inspired Cauliflower Wings
Bake the cauliflower “wings”
- Break up a whole head of cauliflower into florets.
- Mix together a spicy batter for the cauliflower florets with a handful of pantry staples:
- All-purpose flour
- Corn flour
- Milk
- Seasonings: paprika, salt and pepper
- Dip each floret in this batter until generously coated.
- Then roll each floret in a bowl of panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake the cauliflower wings in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30-40 minutes, until each piece is golden and crispy!
To make the garlicky sauce:
- Heat garlic, chilli flakes/ gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and sesame seeds in a splash of oil.
- Once the chilli-garlic mixture is fragrant, pour in:
- Light and dark soy sauce
- Vegan oyster sauce
- Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Water mixed with corn flour to make a corn flour slurry
- Stir well and let the sauce simmer until thickened.
- Then toss the cauliflower wings into your Asian-style sauce , mixing well to combine.
Serve!
- Serve these Asian cauliflower wings hot, with scallions and sesame seeds for garnish… and DIVE IN!
If You Enjoyed These Asian Inspired Cauliflower Wings,
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Spicy Asian-Style Cauliflower Wings
These sticky garlicky crispy cauliflower wings are proof that cauliflower is one of the most underrated and versatile veggies to cook with! Serve these as an appetiser or as part of a hearty meal paired with rice.
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower, broken into florets
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- ½ cup milk
- pinch of salt
- crack of black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1-2 cups breadcrumbs/ panko breadcrumbs
For the garlicky sauce
- 1-2 tbsp cooking oil
- 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
- 2-3 tsp gochugaru
- 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (vegan)
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2-3 tsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp water mixed with ½ tbsp corn flour
- sesame seeds (for garnish)
- scallions (for garnish)
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean your cauliflower ; then break it up into bite-sized florets.
- Whisk together a spicy batter with the all-purpose flour, corn flour, milk, salt, pepper and paprika.
- Dip each floret in this batter until generously coated.
- Pour breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs preferably!) in another bowl and now roll each cauliflower floret in the breadcrumbs.
- Line them up on a baking tray and pop them in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30-40 minutes, flipping the cauliflower pieces halfway. You’ll know when they’re done as they should be golden and crispy on the outside!
To make the garlicky sauce
- Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil in a pan; and add the minced garlic, gochugaru and sesame seeds. Stir well until you have a fragrant chilli-garlic mixture.
- Pour in the soy sauces, oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and water mixed with the corn flour.
- Stir well and let the sauce simmer until thickened.
- Then toss in the cauliflower wings, mixing well to combine.
- Serve these hot with scallions and sesame seeds for garnish; and DIVE IN!
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