Crispy, crunchy, spicy, and sweet, the Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is as Asian as it can get. And it leaves you smiling in deep satisfaction.
Is it just my household or “can we order food, tonight?” a common refrain in yours too? Every other day one of my kids will try to guilt trip me into getting food delivered with their puppy dog eyes.
Considering I try the utmost to keep meals as healthy as possible, takeout is like a burr in my saddle. It is what spurred me to try recipes that are “better than takeout.” The first foray was with a delicious Raw Mango Rice and the second with a fantastic Spicy Tofu Stir Fry.
For my third attempt, I wanted an explosion of flavors that hit the craving for really good food bang on. Hence, the sticky sesame cauliflower recipe. So, shall we begin?
How to Make Sticky Sesame Cauliflower?
The sticky sesame cauliflower has been on my must-make list for a long while. With the vegetable in season, it was the perfect time to try it. My son insists it was the right time because he was tired of eating the same old ‘aloo-gobhi.’ Whatever the reason, the slightly hot, a little sweet and a whole lot delicious sticky sesame cauliflower was a total hit.
Start by cutting florets from the cauliflower. Don’t chop it too small and keep the sizes fairly similar (to bake evenly). Next, make a smooth, thick batter by mixing corn starch and rice flour (for amazing crunchy textures), garlic powder, a teaspoon of any vegetable oil with water.
It’s the batter that bakes the cauliflower to a crisp. So, keep it rich. Toss the florets in it. Ensure they are coated well and then slide them in the oven till they are just done.
Making the sauce for sticky sesame cauliflower
While the cauliflower is turning into a gorgeous light golden, you have the time to make the unbelievably divine sauce. In a pan, heat soy sauce, chilli sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and minced garlic and ginger.
I used sriracha because I love to turn the volume up on the heat. You can use any chilli sauce of your preference based on how hot you want the recipe. For the sesame oil, I prefer cold-pressed because it has the best flavor!
Once the sauce has cooked for about five odd minutes, whisk in a mixture of cornstarch and water to give it a slurry-like consistency. Now comes the sticky and yummy part of the recipe - add in some honey to the thickened sauce.
Combine the cauliflowers (which should be baked by now) with the sauce, and you’re done!
Quick notes
The sticky sesame cauliflower recipe is vegan-friendly. You simply substitute honey for maple syrup. If you chose to do so, add the syrup while heating all the sauce ingredients. I add the honey after taking the sauce off the stove because high temperatures leech away the condiment’s properties.
The recipe is uber-quick, but you can reduce the prep time further by making the sauce beforehand. Just reheat it with a touch of water (it tends to thicken with time) and then chuck in the cooked cauliflower. You’ll often find a jar of the sauce in my pantry because it is just so versatile and, to be honest, addictive. You can add it to mushrooms, chicken, and even tofu for some truly finger-lickin’ results.
Serving sticky sesame cauliflower
Each bite of the sticky sesame cauliflower hits all the senses. Not once do you realize, you’re eating cauliflower with such gusto!
The trick to keeping cauliflower sticky and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside is to serve it immediately after mixing the baked florets with the sesame sauce.
I love to plate it on a bed of Jasmine rice and then garnish with some green onions, red chili, and sesame seeds. You can switch the rice with noodles, and the recipe is still utterly delicious.
More healthy, quick recipes
- Thai Peanut Noodles
- Sticky Chili Sweet Potatoes
- baked sweet potatoes
- Spicy Tofu Stir Fry
- Spicy Keema Curry
I hope you give the sticky sesame cauliflower a whirl. It is healthy, and it tastes exactly like takeout from your favorite Asian restaurant. Plus, with minimal chopping and stove time, it's the best fuss-free cooking.
Trust me; words will fall short of how amazing it tastes.
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📖 Recipe
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 medium Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/3 cup Rice flour
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder, optional
- 1/3 - 1/4 cup Water
Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1/4 cup Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce adjust to taste (you add more if you prefer more heat)
- 1" Fresh ginger, finely minced
- 4-5 cloves Fresh garlic, finely minced
- 2-3 tbsp Honey/ maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Water
Garnish
- Sesame seeds, Spring onions, Sliced Chillis
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Preheat your oven to 200C / 392F. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, oil, garlic powder and water to make a smooth thick mixture.
- Coat the cauliflower florets in this mixture and place in a single layer on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200 C / 392 F until just done. Don't let the cauliflower overcook. You want to retain the crunchy texture.
Sauce
- While the cauliflower is in the oven, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan and cook for 5-6 minutes. If using maple syrup, you can add that at this point too.
- Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it to the simmering sauce.
- Cook till the sauce thickens another 2-3 minutes. Take it off the heat and add the honey to the sauce. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Assembly
- Once the cauliflower is ready, toss it in with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds, spring onions, and chillis. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Michelle says
Phenomenal recipe! So easy and I cannot explain how amazingly delicious. Sweet spicy, crunchy. Wow. Will double recipe next time. Love it!
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for your most wonderful feedback and for following along! xx
Ashka says
This was so delicious! I actually coated some baby corn and baked too and put the sauce on it and it was even nicer than on the cauliflower! Love how versatile this recipe is! I actually used dark soy sauce as it’s all I had and it came out really dark rather than your picture but was scrumptious so that’s all that mattered! Def worth using light soy sauce if serving to guests as will look more appealing.
Natasha Minocha says
Oh that baby corn sounds so lovey! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Ashka. You made my day!xoxo
Christine says
Love this recipe, it's brilliant!! It came out perfectly!! I love how it's crispy without being deep fried. Love the batter idea. I made mine a little too spicy but tempered it with more honey. I can't believe it came out just like the pic!
Natasha Minocha says
I am thrilled to hear this, Christine! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely feedback and for your support. xoxo
Caroline Moyse says
I loved this recipe. I did find my sticky sauce congealed on cooling. How would I stop this? I added a little more water to try and make it runny. But over all it was it hit!
Thank you for this delis reciepe
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you so much, Caroline! I'm thrilled you enjoyed this recipe.
So you can add more water/broth to the sauce while making it. It will thicken as it cools, a bit of gentle reheating will bring it back to a dropping consistency. Hope this helps. xoxo
alexandra Neale says
This was delicious- I am allergic to soy so substituted the soy sauce for coconut aminos and it was so good 🖤
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you, Alexandra! This is such a great tip for people allergic to soy. I'm so glad this turned out well for you. xx
Cece says
This recipe was sooo good! My daughter is really picky with vegetables. I used white rice flour and honey. Great combo & now considered a family favorite.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm thrilled to hear this, Cece! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and for following along. xx
Richie says
I am about to try this dish and was wondering if you could mix it up a bit and add Broccolli florests too?
Natasha Minocha says
Oh absolutely! Hope this turns out well for you.:)
Merlita says
Hi Natasha me and my husband recently started a plant based diet. To add protein to our diet I also add tofu to this recipe. The sauce is so delicious and the cauliflower turned out really nice. Thank you for sharing your yummy recipe! It’s so perfect!
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so happy to hear this, Merlita!Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback with me. I appreciate you. And I hope you enjoy the plant based diet journey and discover lovely, delicious recipes along the way. xx
Nina says
Wow!!!! This is the best cauliflower recipe I have ever tried. I never leave comments but I was seriously blown away at how delicious it was. Thank you for sharing!!!
Natasha Minocha says
Oh thank you so much,Nina for your wonderful feedback! You made my day! I appreciate you. xx
Shana says
Made this tonight, and oh man is this delicious. Going to be a regular as we continue finding other vegan recipes to add to our cook list. Next time I’m going to double the sauce cause I like extra for my rice. Thank you for sharing this super yummy dinner!!
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so happy to hear this, Shana! Thank you for making this and for your wonderful feedback. Really appreciate you.
Yes, the sauce is really worth doubling 😊❤️
Stacy Klette says
We loved it, making it again tonight but will also use it for chicken for the youngest who is not that accepting of cauliflower
Natasha Minocha says
Hahahaha! This goes well with literally everything, chicken, shrimps, fish, tofu, mushrooms 😁
Thank you for your lovely feedback, hope the little one enjoys it with chicken. xx
Dori says
I really love this dish! Came out perfectly! So much flavor. I’m trying to eat less meat and this was a great alternative. Will make again and again!😋
Natasha Minocha says
Wow, thank you, Dori! So happy to hear this. Really appreciate your support! xx
Alex says
I would love to say this recipe was great, because all of the other replies are raving! Unfortunately I followed this recipe to the letter (adding honey, not syrup) and the sauce came out SO salty it was inedible. The cauliflower cooked well enough, but I had to add twice as much water as recommended to get the batter into a, well, batter and not a dough ball. The end result after 20 minutes at 395 F was crunchy, almost burnt batter that added a weird texture to the dish, though the cauliflower underneath was well cooked.
To anyone who made this and liked it, I recommend adding avocado to your bowls because that was the only part of my dinner I enjoyed. Avocado and rice.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so sorry this recipe didn't work out well for you, Alex. But thank you very much for trying it out and for your feedback. 🙏🏻
ASB says
Nice flavor! If I make it again I would make a few changes. After the batter, I would toss cauliflower in panko. There was no crunch with just batter. Definitely watch carefully while baking to avoid overcooking the cauliflower. I tossed cauliflower in the sauce and put under the broiler hoping to achieve crunch. Just continued to overcook the cauliflower. The sauce is delicious! But the typical ratio of cornstarch to water is 1:1. The 1 tbs of cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water changed the color of the sauce to an unattractive, muddy color. My last comment - this is a pretty labor intensive dish for a weekday meal, so plan accordingly.
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you for your feedback, its much appreciated! 🙂
Tara says
I don't usually submit reviews, but I want to say - if you're thinking about trying this recipe, do it! It made about 2 healthy sized portions for my son and me. I think I could have eaten both! Had no issues with the cauli; I just added water until the batter was very thick. Baked in oven at 400F for 25 minutes and I sprayed my pan with cooking spray. I like the veg to be cooked and not crunchy, and it was perfect. The only thing I could add is, I might make a little more sauce next time for the rice. SO good, thank you!
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you thank you thank you, Tara!! What a lovely feedback. I really appreciate you taking the time to try the recipe and for sharing your reviews. Have a fabulous day! xx
Tim says
One thing that tripped me up is the temperature is in Celsius. I’m used to Fahrenheit and only realized the mistake after I’d cooked the cauliflower at 200F which is obviously too low! Might be why some of the other folks didn’t get their cauliflower fully cooked too.
Natasha Minocha says
Oh no! I think I need to start mentioning the conversion for Celcius temperatures. Thank you for bringing this to my notice. I really appreciate that you tried the recipe. Hopefully next time your cauliflower will be cooked through and you'll enjoy this dish.
Joann says
Could you do the cauliflower in an air fryer
Natasha Minocha says
Oh absolutely Joann! Thank you for following along! 🙂
Marie says
Delicious and easy to make! Thank you so much! The sauce is delicious ( a little too salty for us but we added a little more water and it was perfect).
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Marie, so glad you could fix the recipe to your preference and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind words and for following along.xx
Elizabeth says
Hmm. My cauliflower did not get crispy in oven but tasted great with sauce anyways. Next time I think I will just bake cauliflower pieces without batter. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Natasha Minocha says
Oh I'm sorry the recipe didn't pan out as well for you. But thank you for trying it and appreciating. So grateful. ????????
Susan says
OMG! This was amazing! And because my husband and son eat meat I also made a chicken version for them. Delicious- thank you!!
Natasha Minocha says
Oh wow! I'm thrilled to hear that! Thanks so so much for sharing this with me. You made my day! xoxo
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it reheat well?
Natasha Minocha says
So glad you like this, Vanessa. While reheating the cauliflower tends to get soggy, but it still tastes great. 🙂
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great way to stay vegan and still enjoy these flavors and this dish!
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so happy to hear this, Suzanne. Thank you so much. xx
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so glad you like this, Suzanne. Thank you so much. xx
Niki says
Loved it. Might double the sauce next time though. I had run out of rice wine vinegar so substituted with white wine vinegar and used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce as daughter is intolerant
Natasha Minocha says
How wonderful, Niki! So glad you enjoyed this and so could your daughter. This sauce is totally worth doubling! 🙂
Thank you for following along and for your support.xx
Lily says
One of my go-to dinners! I add more Sriracha sauce to add extra spice.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for trying and sharing your feedback xx
Paul says
Try this recipe and the cauliflower mixture is really not that great, but the sauce is great.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this, Paul. Thank you so much for trying it out though! Really appreciate it.????
Pauline says
I totally agree. Made it for friends as a side dish. Not impressed with the cauliflower but we all loved the sauce and will be making it again as a stir fry.
Natasha Minocha says
I'm sorry the cauliflower didn't work out well for you. Glad the sauce was enjoyed. Thank you for trying the recipe and for your feedback. I appreciate your support.🙏🏻
Lígia Carpenter says
Can I make this recipe leaving out the oil! I have been on Forks Over Knives diet and we don’t use oils.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Ligia, I think so, though I haven't made it without oil myself. Please do let me know how it works out for you. Happy cooking! 🙂
Michell says
Thank you for this recipe. My daughter and husband had tried sesame cauliflower at a ski resort and asked if I could research and recreate. The meal they had was fried but my daughter was looking for a healthier version. They absolutely loved it! I added maple syrup in the beginning and honey at the end.
Natasha Minocha says
So so happy to hear this Michell! I'm really glad your family enjoyed this meal. This really made my day! xx
Robyn says
My cauliflower did not want to batter- is it supposed to be runny? The oven temp was too low- batter still raw, cauliflower still raw.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Robyn, so sorry your cauliflower didn't turn out as well as expected. The batter for coating the cauliflower is supposed to be thick but it does slide off the florets a bit, as you can see in my pictures. As for the oven temperature, it needs to be baked at 200 C or 392F. Could it be that these got baked at 200F instead?
Thank you so much for trying this recipe out though. I hope next time it will match your expectations! 🙂
Amanda says
Hi, I really want to try this recipe but I'm wondering what to do or substitute the rice flour if I cannot find in stores?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Amanda, if you don't find rice flour, I guess you could use cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Good luck! 🙂