These sesame cauliflower bites are sweet, filling, sticky, and so flavorful. Before I transitioned to a plant-based diet, I LOVED Chinese food takeout – sesame chicken with rice was my absolute favorite. This sesame cauliflower dish tastes even BETTER than the non-vegan version – they are a must try!
Air Fried
I used my air fryer to get the cauliflower bites crispy, but baking them in the oven works fine too. Wait until they’re all done before you start the sauce as that’s done really quickly and will burn if you don’t stir continuously. I LOVE my air fryer because:
- It speeds up the overall cooking time – my air fryer heats up in seconds!
- Super easy clean-up.
- No oil needed! In fact, adding too much oil may damage your machine. Whenever I use my air fryer, I don’t anything sit in there longer than 10 minutes without giving it a shake to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom, so using an oil spray isn’t necessary either.
- It produces foods that feel lighter + healthier – I feel like I’m indulging in deep fried foods, but don’t wind up with a stomachache afterwards.
Low Carb Option
If you’re worried about the carb content, just bake the cauliflower without breading – the star of the dish is the sauce so breading it doesn’t make too big a difference. The rice obviously has carbs as well, so try my REFRESHING CUCUMBER SALAD as a base to remove more carbs.
Macros
- If you don’t count macros, this doesn’t apply to you! I’m only counting macros right now because I’m working out 5-6x a week and am trying to gain muscle/lose fat. Other than that I don’t care too much about macros!
- Macros are per portion (this recipe serves 3) and includes a scoop of rice (1/3 cup per portion)
- This recipe is high in carbs so be conscientious during the day. Everyone is different, but I do like to track my fat, protein, and carb intake – on a day I eat dinners like this with a high carb content, I try to eat healthy fats and protein for breakfast and lunch.
525 CAL
99g CARBS
8g FAT
17.5g protein
Sesame Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 cup whole wheat flour optional
- 4 tbsp tapioca flour optional
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk optional
- 1/2 cup water optional
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup tamari or coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup agave
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup veggie broth can sub for water
- 4 tbsp tapioca flour
Instructions
Cauliflower
- cut 1 head of cauliflower into bite sized florets
- in a bowl combine the whole wheat flour, tapioca flour, plant-based milk, water, and sea salt
- add all the cauliflower florets into a bowl until they’re all evenly coated in the batter. bake them in a few rounds in your air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 min giving them a shake halfway through, OR bake them in the oven for 20 min flipping halfway through
Sauce
- combine tamari or coconut aminos, agave, rice vinegar, sesame oil, hot sauce, minced ginger, and minced garlic in a large pot. let simmer on a low heat for a few min
- add veggie broth and tapioca flour to the mix and stir until gooey. make sure to stir continuously or it’ll burn
- once the sauce is sticky add the cauliflower and cook until heated throughout
- add a scoop of brown rice to a bowl and top with the cauliflower and sesame seeds
