These insanely delicious and crispy cauliflower bites are easy to whip up and can be relished guilt-free. Enjoy it as an appetizer or with rice or noodles for a scrumptious vegan meal!!!
Being a vegetarian, I am always looking for creative yet delicious ways to feed my kids the vegetables they are not crazy about. Cauliflower being one of them, it's funny, how my kids love to eat it raw, roasted, or in this Detox Cauliflower soup, but get finicky about eating it in any other manner. That's where this Asian inspired Sriracha Cauliflower Bites comes in. After a few trials, I hit the bullseye, and the whole family now enjoys it with much relish.
What I love about these cauliflower bites is that it checks so many boxes all at once, it strikes just the right balance between spicy, sweet, and savory with a perfectly crisp outside and a tender inside. You just want to devour the whole thing then and there which isn't such a bad thing, considering cauliflower is packed with vitamins C, K, folate, fiber, and so on!
What's more it's made with minimal oil and is vegan! Whether you decide to air fry or bake, it's crunchy and delicious either way. Steamed cauliflower florets are coated in soy sauce, loads of sriracha, rice flour/all-purpose flour, and starch, and then air fried/baked to perfection. Finally, it's tossed in a finger-lickin' good sweet and spicy sauce, and you are good to go! Serve it as an appetizer or as a side with rice or noodles to round off a scrumptious meal!!!
Let's do this!!!
How to make Sriracha Cauliflower bites?
- Prep the cauliflower florets by steaming and tossing it in the prepared sauce.
- Air fry or bake the florets.
- Toss the crispy florets in the garlicky sweet and spicy sauce.
We love Sriracha Cauliflower Bites. They :
- are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- are garlicky, sweet, spicy, and incredibly yum.
- easy and quick to make.
- make a great appetizer or side with rice or noodles.
- are made with little oil and hence healthy.
- are vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1lb cauliflower, cut into equal bite sized florets
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons rice flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sriracha
- 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt or per taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
To garnish
- scallions
Instructions
Steam the cauliflower
- Toss cauliflower florets with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add 1 cup of water to the inner steel insert of the Instant Pot.
- Place a steamer basket inside the Instant Pot and arrange the cauliflower florets in a single layer.
- Close the lid with the vent in the sealing position.
- Change the setting to STEAM for zero minutes.
- Once the time is over and Instant Pot beeps, immediately release the pressure.
- Remove and set it aside.
Alternatively, if using a Stovetop, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add cauliflower florets in the hot water for about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and keep them aside.
Make the batter
- In a bowl, combine paprika, soy sauce, sriracha, ½ teaspoon salt, and water.
- Add the steamed cauliflower florets and mix gently.
- Sprinkle corn starch and all-purpose flour/rice flour.
- Toss the florets to evenly coat the batter.
- Finally, add the oil and toss nicely.
Air Fry or Bake the Cauliflower
- Transfer the coated cauliflower to the CrispLid/air fryer basket and arrange in a single layer. Make sure to leave a little space between them.
- Air fry at 400 °F in your Air Fryer or Instant Pot CrispLid for about 9 minutes, then flip and air fry for another 4 minutes.
- Remove to a plate.
Alternatively, you can bake in the oven at 400 °F for 18-20 minutes by placing the coated cauliflower on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flip once halfway through.
Prepare the sauce
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced ginger and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients - chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Keep stirring and let it simmer for a minute or so. If the sauce seems too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Add the crisped cauliflower and toss gently to combine.
- Garnish with green onions. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce or with rice or noodles!!!
Recipe Notes
- To make the recipe gluten-free, use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Make sure the cauliflower florets are not too small and are of the same size.
- Adjust the heat factor as per your preference.
- Best served hot, if you decide to refrigerate any leftovers, they won't be as crunchy.
