2tablespoonschili paste/hot sauce (such as Gochujang), or to taste
3clovesgarlic, peeled and finely minced
3-inchpiecefresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2tablespoonssesame seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets. In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, water, garlic powder, and sesame seeds. Whisk to combine. The resulting batter should be fluid but thick--thick enough to coat a piece of cauliflower and pool only slightly once set on the baking sheet. If the batter is too thick/pasty, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency.
Drop the cauliflower florets into the batter and stir until all pieces are coated. Using a fork, carefully transfer battered cauliflower to the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space around each floret.
Bake the battered cauliflower for 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tomato paste, chili paste, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Bring the sauce to a boil on the stove over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Set aside.
After cauliflower has baked for 20 minutes, remove and let cool slightly. Once it's cool enough to handle, transfer the par-baked cauliflower to a large bowl. Cover the cauliflower with all but 1/4 cup of the sesame sauce. Toss to thoroughly coat the cauliflower.
Bake the cauliflower for another 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are starting to darken. Depending on positioning in the oven and just overall hotness of your oven, you may have to take them out of this second bake sooner. Just keep an eye on them! Remove the cauliflower when the sauce has “set” around the edges and all florets are a deep golden brown. Let the Cauliflower sit for a full 5 minutes before serving in lettuce wraps, on rice etc., drizzled with remaining sauce and topped with extra sesame seeds, and chopped green onions.
Recipe Notes
Cassava flour makes a nice, crispy coating and is my favourite for cauliflower "wings". If you don’t want to use cassava flour, you can substitute brown rice, chickpea or regular wheat flour. Lower the amount of water to 1 cup if you’re making this substitution (and add more if necessary)! Note that these other flours will not firm up/crisp up as much as the cassava.
It’s important to really keep an eye on these towards the end of the cooking process. They can go from perfect to burnt in what feels like seconds.
I use a Microplane to get the garlic and ginger nice and fine for the sauce
A few readers have mentioned the coating softening up after the second bake. For the best texture, make sure the florets have plenty of space on the baking sheet during both bakes (overcrowding traps steam and keeps things from crisping), and keep a close eye during the second bake instead of walking away. Every oven runs a little differently, so pulling them the moment the sauce sets and the edges deepen in color makes a real difference.
If you're sensitive to salt, feel free to cut the low sodium soy sauce by a tablespoon or two, and taste the sauce before tossing it with the cauliflower. A number of readers have found it a touch salty for their taste, and it's an easy one to dial back without losing the sticky texture
This crispy sesame cauliflower gets a light cassava flour batter and two rounds in the oven for crisp edges, all baked (not fried) in about 1 hour.