Crispy Orange Cauliflower Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 300g (10.6oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • Vegetable oil (rapeseed oil recommended)
  • 4 portions of jasmine rice
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • Sesame seeds for topping

For the sauce:

  • 2 large oranges
  • 1/2 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in the US)

Instructions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of water to create a batter.
  2. Stir the shiitake mushroom pieces into the batter until they are evenly coated. Add a splash of water if the batter is too thick. Set aside.
  3. Zest one of the oranges to create 1 teaspoon of zest. Squeeze out the juice from both oranges.
  4. In another mixing bowl, combine the orange zest and juice with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar.
  5. Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the orange sauce mixture. Set aside.
  6. Cook the jasmine rice according to package instructions and keep it covered.
  7. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan or wok until it’s 2cm-3cm (1”) deep over medium heat. Test the oil by dropping some batter into it; if it sizzles immediately, it’s ready.
  8. Carefully drop the mushroom pieces into the hot oil in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 2-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all mushroom pieces are cooked.
  9. Discard excess oil from the pan and pour in the orange sauce. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
  10. Add the crispy mushroom pieces to the sauce, stirring to combine.
  11. Serve the orange cauliflower with cooked jasmine rice, topped with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.

Additional Tips:

  • For extra flavor, you can marinate the mushrooms in the sauce for 30 minutes before frying.
  • Adjust the sweetness and tanginess of the sauce by adding more or less sugar and vinegar to taste.
  • You can substitute shiitake mushrooms with other types of mushrooms like oyster mushrooms or button mushrooms.
  • To make it spicy, add a dash of chili flakes or sriracha sauce to the sauce mixture.
  • Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley for added freshness and color.
  • This dish pairs well with steamed vegetables or a side salad for a complete meal.

Enjoy this delicious and flavorful crispy orange cauliflower dish!

Easy Orange Cauliflower 😋🥰​
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt + pepper
300g (10.6oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces
vegetable oil, we use rapeseed oil
4 portions of jasmine rice
2 spring onions, chopped
sesame seeds, for topping
For the sauce:
2 large oranges
1/2 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled + finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled + finely chopped
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
Method
Combine the flour, baking powder, large pinches of salt and pepper and 1 cup of water in a large mixing bowl to create a batter.
Drop the shiitake mushroom pieces into the bowl and stir to coat them in the batter. Add a splash of water if the batter is too thick. Then leave the bowl to one side.
Grate enough zest from one of the oranges to create 1 teaspoon of zest. Then squeeze out as much juice from the oranges as possible.
Add the zest and orange juice to a mixing bowl, along with the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and rice wine vinegar.
Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to create a cornflour slurry. Then pour the slurry into the orange sauce, stir to combine all the ingredients, then leave to one side.
Cook the rice as per the packet instructions, then keep it covered and leave it to one side.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a saucepan or wok until it’s 2cm-3cm (1”) deep. Make sure the oil is hot on a medium heat. You can test by dropping some batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately, then it’s ready.
Carefully drop the mushroom pieces into the hot oil – you will need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden and crispy, then transfer on top of kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil and sprinkle over some salt. Repeat until you’ve cooked all the mushroom pieces.
Remove the oil from the pan and pour in the orange mixture. On a medium heat, cook the sauce for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly, then drop in the crispy mushroom pieces and stir to combine.
Serve the mushroom ‘chicken’ with the cooked rice and top with spring onion and sesame seeds. Delicious!!!