Kung pao dish is vegetarian-friendly
A staple of Chinese Sichuan cooking, kung pao chicken is a spicy stir-fry of diced chicken, vegetables, peanuts and chiles. It’s a delicious, satisfying dish to serve over rice. To make this weeknight- and vegetarian-friendly, we’ve swapped in a whole head of cauliflower for the chicken and employed a few easy-to-find condiments to form the sauce. The result is crisp-tender cauliflower, sweet bell peppers and crunchy peanuts all tossed in a garlicky sauce. No need to order takeout anymore when the kung pao craving strikes.
THE STEAM AND STIRFRY METHOD
To get tasty browned edges on the cauliflower but also make sure it cooks through, this recipe uses a two-step method. Start with browning the cauliflower in a hot pan or wok; then add some water, cover, and steam until crisp-tender. It’s an easy way to get flavor and some good texture from the cauliflower.
You also cook onion, sweet bell peppers and ginger together before returning the cauliflower to the pan and adding the stir-fry sauce. This flavorful sauce is made from easy-to-find Asian condiments: tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, chile-garlic paste and toasted sesame oil. The sauce is thickened with cornstarch and cooks up to be glossy and beautiful, coating the vegetables with garlicky, spicy flavor. A handful of crunchy peanuts and fresh scallions rounds out the stir-fry, and kung pao for dinner is served.
KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER Serves 4 For the sauce:
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or
distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or Asian
chile-garlic paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the stir-fry:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets Kosher salt
1/4 cup water
2 medium bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced Steamed rice, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Make the sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.
Make the stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan over mediumhigh heat until shimmering. Add the cauliflower, season with salt, and spread into an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir, spread out the cauliflower again, and cook until starting to brown around the edges, about 1 minute. Add the water, cover, and cook, stirring every minute or so, until the cauliflower is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a large plate.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan until shimmering. Add the bell peppers, onion and ginger, season with salt, and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return the cauliflower to the pan. Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine, and add to the pan. Cook, tossing constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the vegetables, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the peanuts and scallions, and serve with steamed rice.
Recipe notes: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.