This General Tso’s Cauliflower is a delicious healthy twist on a Chinese take-out favorite! Crispy, tangy, sweet, and tender! It’s seriously amazing!
General Tso’s Cauliflower
When I was pregnant with our youngest daughter, we went to lunch at a local Chinese restaurant almost once a week with my mother in law. It was definitely one of my pregnancy cravings!
There’s something about General Tso’s Chicken that is just soooo crave-worthy! That sweet glaze, the perfect crispy crust, the tender chunks of chicken inside. Ok…my mouth is already watering now!
This General Tso’s Cauliflower is a slightly healthier alternative to the take-out classic. I say “slightly healthier” because it is still breaded (though not as heavily breaded) and fried. But hey, it’s a big serving of veggies so there’s that!
In any case, this General Tso’s Cauliflower is insanely delicious!! Even if you’re not a big fan of cauliflower, I promise you’ll love THIS cauliflower!
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General Tso’s Cauliflower Ingredients
- 1 Large cauliflower head
- 1 large egg
- Water (as needed)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- Garlic salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water (split into 1/4 cup measurements)
- 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1-2 Tablespoons corn starch
Kitchen Tools Used:
- Dutch oven
- Spider strainer — if you don’t have one of these get one! It’s the BEST for frying!
- Non-slip mixing bowls
- Large freezer ziplock bags
How to Make General Tso’s Cauliflower
- Gently remove the florets from the stem of the Cauliflower (I used a small paring knife). It’s ok to leave a little bit of stem, but you want bite-sized pieces.
- Place cauliflower pieces in a colander – rinse and drain.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and water.
- In a large Ziplock bag, place 2 cups of flour, 2 Tablespoons of Corn starch, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, and Garlic salt and pepper to taste.
- Zip the bag (check to make sure it’s well sealed) and shake all ingredients to blend.
- Take each Cauliflower floret, dip in the egg batter, then drop them into the bag of flour mixture. Shake gently to coat and set aside.
- In a deep saucepan or dutch oven, heat your favorite oil for frying.
- When the oil is hot, place one small floret into a slotted spoon or spider strainer, and gently lower into the oil. If the piece of cauliflower floats on the top and bubbles, then you know your oil is ready for frying.
- Place several cauliflower florets on your spider strainer and gently lower into the oil.
- When florets are golden brown, remove from oil, and place on a cookie sheet or plate lined with paper towels to dry.
- Repeat until all cauliflower is cooked.
For the Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan combine the first 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste, 1/3 cup of Soy Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Rice wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- Heat on low to medium, until all blended together, and smooth.
- In a small dish, mix 1 – 2 Tablespoons corn starch and the remaining 1/4 cup water, and blend until smooth.
- Slowly add the cornstarch to the saucepan, stirring constantly until well blended.
- When you first add the cornstarch, the mixture will look cloudy but continue stirring. As the cornstarch is mixed into the sauce, it will blend into the same color as the sauce.
- Turn off heat, and drizzle sauce over fried cauliflower florets, or toss florets in the sauce.
Enjoy!
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This General Tso’s Cauliflower is a great twist on an Asian favorite, and one you’re sure to put in your favorites to make again and again!
- 1 Cauliflower Large
- 1 Egg Large
- Water (as needed)
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- Garlic Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Water (split into 1/4 Cup measurements)
- 1 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch (use only 1 Tbsp for a thinner sauce)
Gently remove the florets from the stem of the Cauliflower, I used a small paring knife.
Rinse florets in a colander and set aside to drain.
In a small dish, whisk together egg and water, until it has a light lemon color.
In a Ziplock bag, place 2 cups of flour, 2 Tablespoons of Corn starch, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, and Garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Zip the bag and shake all ingredients to blend.
Take the Cauliflower florets and dip them in the egg batter and drop them in the flour mixture in the bag, and shake gently.
When all florets have been coated with flour, zip the bag closed and set aside while you heat oil for frying.
In a deep saucepan, or in a deep fryer, heat oil of choice (I used vegetable oil), on medium-high.
Make sure you have either a large slotted spoon or another large slotted utensil to place and remove the florets from the hot oil.
When the oil is hot, place one small floret in the slotted spoon, and gently lower into the oil, and if it floats, or comes to the top and bubbles, your oil is ready to fry the cauliflower.
If it sits in the oil, simply watch it, and when it begins to bubble in the oil, you’re ready to cook the cauliflower.
Place several florets on the slotted utensil and gently lower into the oil.
When florets are golden brown, remove with a slotted utensil, and drain on paper towels, repeating this step until all florets have been cooked.
In a medium saucepan combine the first 1/4 cup water, 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste, 1/3 cup of Soy Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Rice wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce.
Heat on low to medium, until all blended together, and smooth.
In a small dish, mix 1 – 2 Tablespoons corn starch and the remaining 1/4 cup water, and blend until smooth.
Slowly add the cornstarch to the saucepan, stirring constantly until well blended.
When you first add the cornstarch, the mixture will look cloudy but continue stirring. As the cornstarch is mixed into the sauce, it will blend into the same color as the sauce.
Turn off heat, and drizzle sauce over fried cauliflower florets, or toss florets in the sauce.
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.
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