Sugar-Free Korean Fried Cauliflower

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Dairy-free | No added fats or oils | Vegetarian | Plant-based option | Air fryer recipe

Makes: enough to serve 3-4 as a side dish
Cuisine: Korean
Course: Side dish
Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 - 30 minutes

My first experience with fried cauliflower saw it gleaming in a deliciously sweet Korean style sauce. It was deep-fried and covered in a sugary syrup that attacked my taste buds in a somewhat strange way. The flavours hit the right spot; however, the concept lacked execution, as deep-fried cauliflower can get soggy and be too oily. 

With that, I took it upon myself to create a version of this Korean dish that tastes like the original but without the deep-frying and high sugar content. I was pretty impressed with the result! 

My version remains crisp and golden thanks to the cooking method and is sugar-free thanks to my Sugar-Free Korean Sticky Sauce. Did I also mention that these little morsels are gluten, dairy and oil-free as well?

Hints, Tips & Tricks

Yes, you will need an air fryer for this recipe. Cooking the cauliflower in the oven just won't cut it as you won't get that delicious crisp to the cauliflower.

I use my Sweet As Fibre Syrup as a refined sugar substitute in this recipe due to its natural sweetness. My fibre syrup is a low-calorie prebiotic fibre made from 100% pure chicory. Feel free to use your own fibre syrup, but read the labels. Many companies lace their syrups with malt extract and stevia to make them sweeter. If your fibre syrup isn't golden, it probably isn't 100% pure. Click here if you would like to purchase my Sweet As Fibre Syrup.    

RECIPE

Ingredients

Bridget's Sugar-Free Korean Sticky Sauce

• 70 ml (2.3 oz) Sweet As Fibre Syrup
• 40 ml (1.3 oz) low sodium tamari 
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tbsp finely chopped garlic
• ½ tbsp finely chopped ginger
• ½ tbsp Korean red pepper paste, or pure chilli paste (adjust accordingly) 

The rest

• 150 g (5.2 oz) tapioca flour or starch
• 1 egg mixed with 50 ml (1.6 oz) of water; Or just 100 ml (3.5 oz) of water for vegan
• 500 g (1.1 lb) raw cauliflower, cut into even bite-sized florets
• 1 tbsp chopped lightly roasted almonds
• A small handful of fresh mint leaves, cut into shreds
• A small handful of fresh coriander leaves, cut into shreds
• 1 spring onion, green part only, sliced thinly

Method

1. Firstly make the sauce by bringing the fibre syrup, tamari, apple cider vinegar, chopped garlic and ginger and red pepper or chilli paste to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. 
2. Set up two bowls on your bench, one with the tapioca starch and a little salt and the other with the egg and water ( or just water for vegans), lightly salted and whisked together. 
3. Dip the cauliflower florets into the tapioca, dip into the liquid, and then back again through the tapioca. Repeat until all the cauliflower has been used up. 
4. Preheat your air fryer on 220C (430F) for 2 minutes, and then add the cauliflower in a single layer into your air fryer basket or rack. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches. Try not to crowd the cauliflower, but just touching each other is fine. 
5. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is tender on the inside and crisp and brown on the outside. 
6. Place the hot cauliflower into a bowl and pour over the sauce. Toss the cauliflower to get it evenly coated in the thick syrupy sauce. 
7. Add the cauliflower to a bowl and top with the nuts, fresh herbs and spring onion and serve.