This baked vegan orange cauliflower is flavourful, chewy, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. You only need simple ingredients and around 40 minutes for this ‘fakeaway’ weeknight dinner.
One of my favourite cooking endeavours is making vegetables taste delicious. Or, hiding vegetables in comforting recipes that don’t feel veggie-based at all. One of the best things to do that with is cauliflower for sure. It’s famous for its ability to transform into pretty much any dish.
Baked vegan orange cauliflower
If you want to recreate Chinese takeaway at home, orange cauliflower is a great plant based alternative to orange chicken – and this one requires no fancy ingredients/fake meats. Just simple ingredients and a very straightforward preparation method. Serve it over a bed of rice, and you’re good to go.
Ingredients you’ll need
- A large head of cauliflower.
- All-purpose flour. I’ve also tried this recipe with a gluten-free blend, and it works just as well.
- The spices: cumin and paprika. These are used to add extra flavor to the batter.
- Plant based milk of your choice. Any variety will work.
- Soy sauce. For a gluten-free alternative, use either tamari or coconut aminos.
- Tomato paste. This adds tanginess to the sauce.
- Rice vinegar.
- Orange juice. For best results, use fresh oranges because this will achieve the most rich and dynamic flavor.
- Cornstarch for thickening the sauce.
- Sesame seeds, chilli flakes and scallions for serving.
How to make vegan orange cauliflower
Firstly, prepare the cauliflower. Trim off the leaves and remove the stem, then chop the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Whisk together water, soy sauce, tomato paste, rice vinegar, orange juice and cornstarch. Transfer to a skillet over a medium heat and whisk continuously for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
When the cauliflower is done, mix it together with the sauce, also adding the sesame seeds. Serve immediately garnished with more sesame seeds, chilli flakes and scallions.
Recipe
Equipment
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Mixing bowl
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Conventional oven
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Baking tray
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Skillet
Ingredients
For the cauliflower ‘wings’
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup plant based milk
For the orange sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
To serve
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- chilli flakes
- scallions
Instructions
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Prepare the cauliflower. Trim off the leaves and remove the stem, then chop the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.1 head cauliflower
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Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
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In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cumin, paprika and plant based milk.1 cup flour, 1 tsp cumin, 1 cup plant based milk, 1 tsp paprika
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Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter, shaking off any excess. Arrange them in a single layer on the baking tray, and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. You can test for doneness using a knife or a fork to make sure the cauliflower is tender all the way through.
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Prepare the sauce. Whisk together water, soy sauce, tomato paste, rice vinegar, orange juice and cornstarch. Transfer to a skillet over a medium heat and whisk continuously for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.½ cup water, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, ½ cup orange juice, 2 tbsp cornstarch
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When the cauliflower is done, mix it together with the sauce, also adding the sesame seeds. Serve immediately garnished with more sesame seeds, chilli flakes and scallions.3 tbsp sesame seeds, chilli flakes, scallions
