Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (2024)

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My 117th recipe, "Kung Pao Cauliflower", an exquisitedish from the Chinese cuisine featuring my favorite cauliflower. There are so many great things I have learnt and enjoyed since starting this blog. One such thing is the social media network, "Pinterest". Pinterest is something which I had never heard of prior to starting this blog.

But once I learnt that it is a very important traffic source for many food blogs, I too jumped onto it. I am glad that I did so. With so many lovely people using it, my recipes get good visibility and importantly more traffic to my site. And even better is the numerous delicious recipes I get to see on Pinterest from different cuisines, most of which I never even knew existed. Social media has certainly made the world a small place.

This Kung Pao Cauliflower is one such recipe which I found on pinterest. While I knew that a dish by the name Kung Pao chicken exists, I never knew how it would look or taste. Thanks to Miryam, who made my life easy with a well explained recipe. When I made it today, RK absolutely loved it and rated it among one of the best foods he has ever tasted. It was sweet, saucy, salty, spicy and bowl licking good 😉 This recipe was adapted from here.

Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (1)

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (2)

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Revathi Palani

Kung Pao Cauliflower is a easy to make and extremely flavorful Chinese dish made with cauliflower, loaded with Asian sauce and served with noodles/rice.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 9 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

For Noodles

  • Regular Noodles - 100 gms (I used 3 pieces from a 12 piece packet of Inchin's Bamboo Garden's Vegan Noodles)
  • Water - 2 Cups (Adjust as needed to cook the noodles)
  • Salt - ½ tsp
  • Sesame Oil - ½ tsp

For Sauce

  • Distilled white vinegar - 1 Tbsp
  • Tomato ketchup - 1 Tbsp
  • Soy Sauce - 2 Tbsp
  • Asian hot sauce - ½ Tbsp
  • Sugar - 1 Tbsp
  • Salt - ¼ tsp (adjust as needed)
  • Corn starch - 1 ½ tsp
  • Water - 2 Tbsp

Ingredients

  • Sesame / Olive Oil - 2 Tbsp
  • Cauliflower - ½ Large (Cut into small florets)
  • Red bell pepper - ½ (diced)
  • Green bell pepper - ½ (diced)
  • Ginger - ½ inch cube (minced)
  • Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)
  • Spring Onion - 3 (chopped, white and green part separated)
  • Cashews - 10
  • Dry Red pepper flakes - ½ tsp

Instructions

  • First let us cook the noodles. Heat required quantity of water along with ½ tsp salt. Add the noodles and cook until the noodle is fully done. Turn off the flame and drain the water completely from the noodles. Add about ½ tsp of sesame oil to the noodles and toss well until the noodles are coated. This will help the noodles from not sticking to each other.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (3)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (4)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (5)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (6)
  • While the noodles is cooking, we can prepare the sauce. Add all items given under "For sauce" into a small bowl and mix well until combined. Keep aside.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (7)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (8)
  • Now, chop all the required veggies and keep aside. Then heat a large pan / wok with oil in medium flame, add the cauliflower and saute for 5 mins until they are half cooked. Transfer the cauliflower to a separate plate.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (9)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (10)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (11)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (12)
  • To the same pan, add the bell peppers and saute for 3 mins until their skins start to blister a little. Now, add the cauliflower back to the pan and continue to saute for a further 5 mins until the cauliflower is almost done.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (13)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (14)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (15)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (16)
  • Now, add the ginger, garlic, white part of spring onion, cashews, red pepper flakes and saute for 2 more mins. Take care not to break the veggies.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (17)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (18)
  • Finally, add the prepared sauce, turn the flame to high and saute for about 1 min until the sauce thickens and coats the veggies. Turn off the flame.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (19)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (20)
  • Garnish with green portion of spring onion.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (21)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (22)
  • Serve hot along with the noodles.

    Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (23)Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (24)

Notes | FAQ

- I used vegetarian noodles along with the cauliflower. You can use any other type of noodle or brown/white rice.

- I like my veggies crunchy and saucy. In case you need your veggies more soft and dry, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

- I did not have dry red chilli flakes, so could not add. But would highly recommend adding it for the extra spiciness.

- The original recipe calls for adding Rice wine vinegar. Since I did not have it in hand, I substituted it with white distilled vinegar. It still tasted good.

- Watch out while adding the salt to the sauce. Since you are already adding soy sauce as well, you can adjust the salt quantity as per your taste.

Adapted from Eat Good 4 Life

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Priti says

    I tried a few of you recipes. All are very nice. Thank you for such an easyway to cook n delicious recipes.

    Reply

    • revifood says

      Thanks Priti for such lovely comments 🙂

      Reply

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Kung Pao Cauliflower | Easy Asian Inspired recipe | Chinese Takeout Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is kung pao sauce made of? ›

Kung pao sauce has two layers of flavor, one is from spices and the other one is from a balance of soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Firstly, we fry garlic, ginger, and scallion with dried red pepper. This taste is called “胡辣味”, which means fried chili pepper taste.

What is the difference between Chinese cauliflower and regular cauliflower? ›

Chinese cauliflower is such a fantastic variety! Compared to regular cauliflower, Chinese cauliflower has a longer stem, less dense florets, and a slightly sweeter flavor and crunchy texture. It is similar to how broccolini is, compared to broccoli. Chinese cauliflower cooks quicker and requires little prep time.

What goes well with cauliflower? ›

Anchovy, beef, blue cheese, buffalo mozzarella, butter, cheddar cheese, chickpeas, curry, farro, feta cheese, gruyère cheese, parmesan cheese, pork, quinoa, rice, saffron, tahini, tofu, turkey, turmeric, yoghurt.

What to eat tempura cauliflower with? ›

It makes a great main dish if you add rice and veggies, but it's also fantastic appetizer, snack and side dish. By itself, it's good for a quick frozen meal.

What is Kung Pao in Chinese cooking? ›

Versions commonly found in the West, called Kung Pao chicken, Kung Po, or just chicken chili and garlic, consist of diced, marinated chicken, stir-fried with orange or orange juice, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, sugar, cooking oil, corn starch, and salt and pepper to taste.

What are the ingredients in PF Chang's Kung Pao Sauce? ›

P.F. Chang's Home Menu Kung Pao Sauce is anything but ordinary thanks to delicious ingredients. This bold Kung Pao sauce highlights sweet, tangy and spicy notes with fermented chili bean sauce, chili flakes, apple juice concentrate and vinegar.

What part of cauliflower is not edible? ›

Every part of a cauliflower is edible, even the tough outer skin. However, we do recommend peeling this part before cooking as it's a bit tough to chew.

Which is healthier cauliflower or rice? ›

Substituting cauliflower rice for white rice is a great way to get more antioxidants while reducing calories and carbohydrates in order to save room for other nutrient dense foods.

What color cauliflower is healthiest? ›

Purple. Purple cauliflower is the healthiest option, with numerous advantages. The purple hue is due to the antioxidants called anthocyanins. These are the pigments present in various other plants and plant-based products, including red cabbage and red wine.

What brings out the Flavour of cauliflower? ›

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Is cauliflower better for you than broccoli? ›

While they are both very nutritious vegetables, broccoli has a higher vitamin content, specifically in vitamin K and C, than cauliflower and is specifically known to be great for eye health. Broccoli florets also provide more minerals and fiber as well as contains vitamin A that isn't in cauliflower.

What do Japanese eat with tempura? ›

Today, tempura is most often served on rice in a rice bowl called tendon or on top of soba noodles. It may be served as a side and dipped in sauce. Sushi rolls are occasionally fried in tempura style but this is not so common within Japan.

How to cook Trader Joe's tempura cauliflower? ›

Add the frozen cauliflower tempura and air fry at 400 for 15-18 min (or less if you like it less crispy. Using tongs, carefully flip them over halfway; they're a lil delicate and can come apart easily at the halfway point so don't shake it like you normally would when air frying something.

What's the difference between General Tso's and Kung Pao Sauce? ›

Kung pao chicken and General Tso's chicken are similar in that they are both chicken-based dishes with a hint of chili, but the primary difference is that latter is deep-fried and coated with a syrupy sweet and sour sauce, and the former is coated with a gentle, more balanced sauce.

What does Kung Pao Sauce taste like? ›

What does Kung Pao Sauce taste like? Kung Pao sauce has a strong flavour that is sweet, sour, savoury and with the signature tingle of heat from Sichuan pepper.

Which is spicier General Tso or kung pao? ›

General Tso's is sweeter with a milder spice, featuring deep-fried battered chicken. Kung Pao is spicier with stir-fried chicken, vegetables, and peanuts.

Is Kung Pao always spicy? ›

Kung pao chicken is fairly spicy from the addition of both fresh and dried chilies, but also from the use of Sichuan peppercorns, which offer a tongue-numbing sensation. You can dial back on the heat by using milder chilies, and using less of the spicy peppercorns.

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