If you fancy making something a bit more special that your regular meals, then this roasted Korean Cauliflower Wings recipe is perfect! The homemade sticky sauce is so indulgent and super easy to make too.
It was my parents 35th wedding anniversary last weekend and since they couldn’t go out for a meal due to UK lockdown, I gave myself the challenge of recreating the ‘restaurant experience’ at home by cooking a three-course vegan meal for them. Although I cook at home regularly, I wanted to make something that was more fancy since it was for a special occasion. It was difficult task as my dad is a hard-core meat eater and super critical of vegan meals- so I had to do a lot of research!
I chose Asian/tropical theme for the 3 course dinner as these are flavours my parents usually only eat when they go out to restaurants. For this post, I’ll focus on what I made for starters- after much research and amalgamation of recipes I decided that these baked Korean Cauliflower Wings would be my best bet for a show-stopper starter! They’re inspired by chicken wings in that the florets looks like chicken wings once cooked and the sticky sauce is similar to what you would expect from Asian-style wings.
This Korean Cauliflower Wings recipe is relatively straight forward in comparison to many other cauliflower recipes I’d come across as it doesn’t require a multi-stage process to coat the florets (it’s an absolute messy nightmare trying to dip battered food in breadcrumbs!). The sticky sauce is super simple to make and I will definitely be making this again to use in other Asian recipes rather than buying inferior and more expensive shop-bought versions!
To make. this these cauliflower wings authentically Korean you can use Gochujang paste instead of Sriracha- Gochujang paste is a Korean hot chilli paste whereas Sriracha is more Thai. However, this is harder to find in general supermarket retailers, so if not Sriracha is fine.
OTHER FLAVOUR IDEAS
I reckon you could be quite experimental with the flavours you use each time you make this Korean Cauliflower Wings recipe. Here are some suggestions:
Mexican: Chipotle paste instead of Sriracha, paprika, fajita seasoning
Middle Eastern: Harissa paste instead of Sriracha, cumin
Thai: Thai red curry paste and half the amount of Sriracha sauce
Portuguese: Piri Piri sauce and piri piri seasoning instead of Sriracha.
COOK’S TIP
A quick note for the sticky sauce: If the sauce is too thick (almost jelly like) you’ve probably added too much cornflour- not to worry though, just add a bit more liquid (like soya, lemon juice and sriracha sauce) so that it loosens up a bit. Conversely, if that sauce is still really runny then add a tinny bit more cornflour paste (you need to mix cornflour with water each time you add it instead of by itself or else the mixture will become lumpy).
Also if you don’t have any Sriracha then you can use sweet Chilli sauce instead- but add a bit of chilli flakes/paste and leave out the agave syrup.
SERVING SUGGESTION
I served my Korean cauliflower wings with a refreshing cucumber salad which went really well as it didn’t overpower the flavour of the sticky sauce.
If you fancy trying out any of my other Asian inspired recipes then you can check them out here…
Thai Red Curry with tofu ‘egg’ fried rice
Korean Cauliflower Wings
These sticky Korean-style cauliflower wings are so moreish and indulgent. The sauce is really simple to make too so it's a perfect option for a dinner party starter
Ingredients
For the Sticky Sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic or 2 tsp garlic paste
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp agave syrup or sugar/honey (if not vegan)
- 2 cm grated ginger
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar/rice vinegar
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1-2 tbsp water
For the Cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into equal sized florets
- 65 g plain flour (about half a cup)
- 3 tbsp corn flour
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- a sprinkle black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 110 ml water (roughly half cup)
For the cucumber salad
- 1 cucumber, finely sliced into ribbons (I used a peeler)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 10 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar/rice vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a pinch black pepper
Instructions
For the roasted cauliflower
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Preheat oven to 180 C and line a baking dish with baking paper.
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Mix the plain flour, cornflour, black pepper and salt in a bowl
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Combine the water, sesame oil and garlic paste in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients
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Continue to stir until combined and then quickly add in the cauliflower florets (it will thicken over time otherwise). Tumble with your hands until the cauliflower is well coated
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Transfer the cauliflower to the baking tray, trying not to pour too much batter in or else this will stick all of the florets together once cooked
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Bake for 25 mins until golden. Meanwhile make the sticky sauce.
For the sticky sauce
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Add the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, agave syrup, sesame oil, grated ginger, garlic and vinegar in a small pan. Heat on medium.
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Meanwhile, mix the 2 tsp cornflour with 2-3 tbsp water to form a paste. Once the sauce boils slowely add in the cornflour and stir. If the sauce is too thick add in a bit more soy sauce
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Once the cauliflower is cooked pour over 3/4 of the sticky sauce and tumble with your hands. Return the cauliflower to the oven and bake for a further 10 mins to crisp up and caramelise.
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Once cooked, brush over the remaining sauce on the cauliflower.
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Serve with extra sriracha sauce and the cucumber salad
For the Cucumber Salad
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Combine all the liquid ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine
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Add the cucumber and coriander in a bowl and pour over the liquid mix. Add in the salt and pepper and tumble to combine.
Hi, can corn starch used instead of corn flour? Thanks. Janet
Author
yes that should be fine, I think corn starch is the US version of corn flour (UK)