Korean Fried Cauliflower
Korean Fried Cauliflower is spicier than the American version. It uses a unique mix of coconut flakes and spicy chili sauce with a sweet but spicy dipping sauce. This dish is great as an appetizer or as its own Vegan meal.
About Korean Fried Cauliflower
Did you know that there is cauliflower in Korea? Well, it is not grown there, but is sold there as a more exotic vegetable. It was originally associated with the island of Cyprus.
This recipe takes regular fried cauliflower and adds a Korean taste twist. It isn’t really a native Korean dish as it is a Korean way of making it.
In fact Korean Fried Cauliflower is a popular Cheesecake Factory Recipe. So, obviously there are American versions of this recipe.
This recipe uses vodka, but you can substitute another liquid for it. However, vodka makes the batter dry out quicker which helps make the cauliflower crispy. Recipes made without out might not be as crisp.
Normally, you may be able to omit the vodka and still get a crunchy crust with just cornstarch and flour. However since there is so much moisture in cauliflower, a crunchy exterior is much harder to achieve without it. I tried versions with and without and the version without the vodka immediately turned soft
The recipe overall is pretty quick and easy to make as long as you don’t mind frying.
Try serving your Korean Fried Cauliflower with Mee Krob crispy noodles or Korean Lettuce Wraps. If doing a full Korean meal, try adding Injelomi Rice Cakes for dessert!
Korean Fried Cauliflower
A spicy Korean Fried Cauliflower similar to the Cheesecake factory Asian fried cauliflower recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into 1’’ florets
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1/3 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 5 scallions, finely sliced
- ½ cup vodka (can substitute 1/4 cup water or broth)
- ½ cup cold water
- Sweet and spicy chilli sauce, as required (recipe below)
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 quarts peanut oil
- For the sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup gochujang or Korean chili paste
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
Instructions
- o make the sauce, place the chili paste in a large bowl and whisk in rest of the sauce ingredients until well combined.
- Pour a couple of tbsp water and continue to whisk to make it runny; set aside until necessary.
- Pour oil in a deep fryer or deep-bottomed wok and heat it to 350 degrees F.
- Toss the flour and cornstarch together until well mixed and stir in a couple of tbsp sea salt, baking powder, coconut flakes as well as the toasted sesame seeds.
- Pour in water, followed right away with vodka and whisk them together to form a uniform, thin batter, free of lumps; add more water if the batter appears too thick.
- Plop the cauliflower florets into the batter, one at a time, and lift them up to drip off the excess batter.
- Dip the coated cauliflower into the hot oil, deep fry them in batches for about 6 minutes, until they turn golden brown; avoid overcrowding.
- Drain them out using a slotted spatula into a plate lined with paper towel.
- Sprinkle a dash of salt over them and toss well to season.
- Drizzle the prepared sauce over the fried cauliflower and toss well to coat evenly.
- Sprinkle the sliced scallions on top of the fried cauliflower and finish it off with some more toasted sesame seeds.
Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Carleen
