I bought myself a beautiful vegetarian cookbook called Family, by Hetty McKinnon. I had seen the author cook this recipe live on social media, during a virtual culinary conference. With a family of dedicated carnivores, I wanted to see if they would even notice a meatless dish. It turns out that they devoured this delicious vegetarian dish, not even realizing there was no meat involved. I used both broccoli and cauliflower florets, but you can stick to one vegetable if you choose. Give it a try!
Ingredients
- 1 package favorite noodles pasta, ramen, rice noodles, et....
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or a flour substitute of choice
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil grapeseed oil or peanut oil
- 1 large head of cauliflower or broccoli or a combo of both cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch (for thickening)
Servings: servings
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- For the batter, whisk together the 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of water, garlic and a pinch of salt, in a large bowl. Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Using tongs, dip the florets into the batter and then carefully dip the florets, one piece at a time into the oil and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat until all the florets are cooked. Set florets on a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- To make the sauce, combine the sugar, vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic to a small saucepan and place on low heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Combine the cornstarch (or arrowroot) together and whisk until combined. Add this mixture to the saucepan and stir for about 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Toss the cauliflower florets with the sauce. Combine the noodles with the cauliflower, season to taste and top with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.