Chinese Cauliflower Stir Fry
A delicious and authentic sichuan and regional recipe for Chinese Cauliflower Stir Fry, prepared with traditional seasonings and techniques.
Ingredients
- • 1 small head (18 oz./500g) Chinese cauliflower ((or regular cauliflower))
- • 2 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- • 5 dried chilli peppers ((Optional))
- • 2 shallots (sliced (or 1/2 white onion))
- • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- • 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- • 2 tablespoons Doubanjiang ((spicy fermented bean paste), or 1 tablespoon for a less spicy and less salty dish (*Footnote 1))
- • 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
- • 1/4 cup vegetable stock ((or water))
- • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- • 1 teaspoon sugar
Preparation Steps
Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large carbon steel (or non stick frying pan) over medium-high heat until hot. Add the dried chilli peppers, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add the Doubanjiang and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir to roast the doubanjiang, for 1 minute or so, or until the aromatics are evenly coated. If the doubanjiang looks dry and starts to burn, pour in a spoonful of Shaoxing wine (or water) and stir to bring down the pan temperature.
Add the cauliflower. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce. Stir again to mix well. Cover the pan. Let steam until the cauliflower turns tender. It takes 6 to 8 minutes to cook through Chinese cauliflower, and 3 to 4 minutes to cook through regular cauliflower. Check on the cauliflower every 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a few times when you check it. Add a bit of water or veggie broth if the pan gets too dry.
Uncover. If there’s still a lot of liquid in the pan, you can turn up the heat, cook and stir a few more times to let the liquid evaporate. Transfer everything to a plate.
Serve hot as a side or main dish over steamed rice.