Sweet and Sour Cauliflower

I think cauliflower is a delicacy for vegetarians and I assume it is a veggie that is reserved for special occasions. I like how the name of this dish sounds – sweet and sour cauliflower – very rhyming! We do not buy cauliflower very often cause my folks are not too fond of the gobi sabzi so we always end up making a cauliflower fry or gobi 65. I wanted to try something different with it and so just turned the key ingredient of sweet and sour chicken to cauliflower. It was an explosion of flavors and pairs really well with fried rice or butter rice. You can make both a saucy or dry version of this recipe. I personally like a semi-dry stir-fry. The trick here is to make airy crispy batter fried florets and toss them in a well-balanced sauce. This is a dish that has to be consumed immediately after preparation and cannot be stored and used later as it can get soggy. You can, however, fry the florets and toss in the sauce just before serving. I think the key to any good Manchurian or sweet and sour recipe is to make a flavourful sauce that has the correct proportion of sweet, salt, sour, and spice. Also, I am a person who loves the garlic flavor and so all my savory dishes will be bathed in crushed garlic.

Crispy fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet and sour sauce and topped with spring onions!

Ingredients

For batter fry

• Cauliflower florets - 20

• Maida – 1 cup

• Cornflour – ½ cup

• Salt – to taste

• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

• Tumeric – ¼ tsp

• Water – ½ cup

• Oil – for deep frying

For the sauce

• Oil – 3 tsps

• Garlic – 7 to 8 finely chopped

• Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped

• Onions – 1

• Capsicum – 1 (any color or combination)

• Green chillies – 2 sliced

• Spring onions – 2 to 3 sprigs

• Soy sauce – 2 tsp

• Tomato ketchup - 2 tsp

• Honey - 1 tsp

• Vinegar – 1 tsp

• Crushed pepper – ½ tsp

• Cornflour slurry – 1 tsp cornflour mixed in ¼ cup of water

• Water – ½ cup

Method

Batter fry

1. Clean cauliflower florets in warm salt water.

2. In a bowl mix the ingredients for batter fry, cauliflower going in at the end. Deep fry the florets in hot oil until they turn golden brown. Do not over crowd the pan and ensure the pieces do not stick together.

3. Drain on paper towel.

Sauce

1. In a hot pan add oil. When the oil is hot, add chopped ginger and garlic and fry for 10 secs.

2. Add cubed onions, chillies and capsicum and stir. Do not overcook the vegetables and ensure they stay a little crispy.

3. Add in all the sauces, salt and pepper. Add half a cup of water and keep stirring till the sauce starts bubbling. Now turn the heat on low and add in the corn slurry while stirring continuously.

4. Once the sauce thickens, add in the fried cauliflower. Top with chopped spring onions.

5. Serve hot.

*Notes

• You can also add some roasted cashews for extra richness.

• You can substitute honey with sugar if required.