Perfect Soy-Mates: GF & VGN Orange Cauliflower & Rice
If you pass a Panda Express and immediately want orange chicken, this recipe is for you. You can use chicken if preferred but I challenge you to try subbing in cauliflower florets like this recipe calls for. The cauliflower becomes deliciously crunchy once it’s fried and bathed in the orange sauce. These are easy to make and store well for the next day. If you are big on sauces, double the batch. The sauce is delicious with any sort of grain or vegetables.
Tip: Don’t forget to sprinkle sesame seeds before taking photos… one day I’ll get this food/video photography down.
Perfect Soy-Mates: GF & VGN Orange Cauliflower & Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 can liquid from canned chickpeas aka aquafaba
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- 1 head large cauliflower
- 2.5 cups olive oil for frying
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds for topping
- 3 stems green onions chopped, for topping
Orange Sauce
- 1 cup tangerine or orange juice I used tangerine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp ginger minced or grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce I used tamari for GF
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
- t tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp paprika
Instructions
- Drain the liquid from the can of chickpeas into a bowl. You will use this bowl as part of the dipping station to dress the cauliflower. Set aside
- Mix the cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a second mixing bowl. Set aside
- Cut the cauliflower head into small florets about 3 inches. Add to a bowl then set aside
- In a large soup pan, add 2.5 cups of olive oil. Cook on medium to high heat for a few minutes to let the oil heat up. Once it is bubbling you are ready to drop florets in
- While the oil is heating up, dress the cauliflower florets. Coat each floret in the flour first then dip in the aquafaba (chickpea liquid) and drip off any excess. Re-coat the floret in flour then add to a bowl. Repeat this process until all florets are coated
- Using tongs, slowly drop the florets into the hot oil pot. Fry the cauliflower in small batches at a time. Use the tongs to gently rotate each floret until they are golden and crispy (about 5 minutes). Place paper towels on a plate then add the fried cauliflower to the paper towels to drain any excess oil
- While this process is going, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan on medium high heat. Then minced garlic, ginger and paprika 30 seconds later. Once this is fragrant, add the tangerine or orange juice, tamari, vinegar, agave, and sriracha. Reduce heat to simmer
- While the sauce is cooking, it's time to add a bit of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water. Add water and cornstarch gradually until you reach the desired thickness of sauce you'd like. The sauce should look syrupy and will thicken after 1-2 minutes of adding
- While sauce is cooking, cook cauliflower rice in a pan and add to 2 serving bowls
- Place the fried cauliflower florets in the sauce pan. Use the tongs to rotate until all are evenly coated. Add the florets to the serving bowls with cauliflower rice, top with green onions & sesame seeds. Pour any excess sauce over dish. Ready to serve!
