Today’s recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots) is a fabulous Vegan recipe, and is easy to prepare with the homemade Bang Bang sauce.
*Cauli Shoots were Gifted – Not Sponsored*
A Delicious Chinese Street Food Vegan Recipe
Today’s recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots) is such a fabulous Vegan recipe, which is easy to prepare and packs a fabulous spicy punch with the homemade Bang Bang sauce.
I made this recipe with Cauli Shoots, a great new ingredient, that is exactly that, cauliflower shoots, similar to Tenderstem Broccoli. Tender long shoots are topped with a small cauliflower head, which is sweet and nutty.
I par-boiled the cauliflower shoots before roasting them in sesame oil, and then doused them in a liberal coating of Bang Bang sauce, garnishing the finished dish with chopped fresh coriander and crushed peanuts.
You can source Cauli Shoots in Ocado and Sainsbury’s – but you can use normal cauliflower florets too, with the same delectable results.
With a name like Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots), this would be a suitably spicy meal for Bonfire Night on the 5th November, especially for the non-meat eaters.
For a bit of a change on the recipe, why not add some Tenderstem Broccoli shoots to the mixture, or use broccoli and cauliflower florets for a change.
You can serve these like a snack, with a bowl of extra Bang Bang sauce on the side, and then diners can dip and dunk their Cauli Shoots in to the sauce.
Or, this recipe feeds 4 people as a main meal when served with sticky jasmine rice or egg noodles.
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a name? Bang Bang sauce is usually associated with Bang Bang Chicken, which is dish of cold, poached and shredded chicken that is served with a spicy, nutty sauce.
It is a popular Street Food dish that is served in the Szechuan region of China, where the dish is described as “shredded chicken with spicy sesame sauce”
Other names for this Chinese street dish are bon bon, pon pon, or pang bang chicken. And why Bang Bang?
Well, the name is supposed to come from the sound that is made when the street vendors make when “banging” the chicken with a stick to tenderise it!
I will be sharing my recipe for Bang Bang Chicken on Lavender & Lovage too, but in the meantime, I hope you all enjoy today’s recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots)
Notes and Substitutions
- Adjust the chilli seasoning to taste by adding more or less chilli oil to the sauce.
- For a more authentic sauce, use Chinese Sesame Paste in place of the peanut butter.
- Use Chinkiang rice vinegar in place of Mirin rice wine.
- Use broccoli and cauliflower florets in place of Cauli Shoots.
Slide Show of Ingredients and Recipe Steps
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Recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots)
Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots)
Today's recipe for Bang Bang Cauliflower (with Cauli Shoots) is such a fabulous Vegan recipe, which is easy to prepare and packs a fabulous spicy punch with the homemade Bang Bang sauce.
I made this recipe with Cauli Shoots, a great new ingredient, that is exactly that, cauliflower shoots, similar to Tenderstem Broccoli. Tender long shoots are topped with a small cauliflower head, which is sweet and nutty.
Ingredients
- 3 x 250g packets Cauli Shoots, OR 650g to 750g cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- Bang Bang Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons natural unsweetened peanut butter, crunchy is best
- 3 tablespoons chilli oil, I used Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
- 2 tablespoons mirin rice wine
- 4 teaspoons palm sugar, dissolved in a little warm water
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated, or 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 4 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated, or 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- Garnish:
- Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 40g roasted peanuts, crushed in a pestle and mortar
Instructions
- Place the Cauli Shoots into a large pan of slated boiling water and par-boil for 5 minutes. Drain them and set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C Fan/400F/Gas 4 and pour the sesame oil onto a large oven proof dish or a roasting tin.
- Heat the oil in the oven for 5 minutes until hot, and carefully add the Cauli Shoots to the hot oil using a large slotted spoon. Coat the Cauli Shoots in oil and roast for 35 to 40 minutes until they are soft and cooked, but still retain their shape.
- Meanwhile, make the Bang Bang Sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Add a little warm water if the sauce is too thick, it needs to be a similar consistency to thick cream.
- Once the Cauli Shoots are cooked, remove them from the oven, arrange them on a serving platter and spoon half of the Bang Bang sauce over the cooked vegetables.
- Garnish with chopped coriander and sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the top.
- Serve with the remaining Bang Bang sauce on the side and with rice or noodles for a main meal.
Notes
Adjust the chilli seasoning to taste by adding more or less chilli oil to the sauce.
For a more authentic sauce, use Chinese Sesame Paste in place of the peanut butter.
Use Chinkiang rice vinegar in place of Mirin rice wine.
sherry says
i love cauli! and those cauli shoots look amazing. have never seen nor heard of them before. how very interesting. always good to learn about new stuff
arif says
This is such a great recipe you are provided to us. I will be having for any party and dinner. Thank you for sharing this great Post.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thank you so much