Have you ever been in the middle of putting dinner together only to realize that you could do with another side dish? I know I have, and the answer to a quick, simple, and flavorful side lies in this stir fried cauliflower recipe. Crunchy cauliflower is enveloped in a sweet and sour tomato sauce, making a bright and delicious addition to your meal. It’s colorful and flavorful, the perfect side dish when you want to add more veggies but are growing a little tired of salads and your usual go-to sides.
Stir fried cauliflower ingredients
Chinese cauliflower
In this recipe I used Chinese cauliflower, which is also called sprouting cauliflower, or long stem cauliflower. But you can feel free to use regular cauliflower for this recipe instead. One of the differences between these two types of cauliflower is in the stems. Chinese cauliflower has long stems and the texture is chewier. On the other hand, regular cauliflower has a softer and moister texture. So if you use the regular type, shorten the cooking time by just a little. And be gentle when stir frying it in the sauce to keep the cauliflower florets from breaking apart. You can often find Chinese cauliflower at Asian markets. In the summer, you might see farmer’s markets carry sprouted cauliflower, which is quite similar to Chinese cauliflower. It looks like broccolini but is in white color.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Chopped tomato Tomato paste Sliced garlic Cauliflower florets Salt and sugar
This stir fried cauliflower has an amazing sweet and sour sauce made from fresh tomato and tomato paste. If you follow the recipe, you’ll get a sweet and sour flavor from it, but if you’d prefer it be less sweet, reduce the sugar. Give it a taste at the end and if you’d prefer it sweeter, sugar can always be added in.
Stir fried cauliflower cooking process
Stir fried cauliflower with tomato sauce can be an excellent addition to any main dish, whether you’re making another one of my Chinese recipes or you want to bring in new flavor to any meal. It’s a dish often served hot, but I’ve found it quite delicious once it has cooled down as well. Also if you have a picky eater at home, this might be a new way to introduce cauliflower to them!
More delicious side dishes
Ginger Green Beans (姜汁豆角) Vegetable Fried Rice (蔬菜炒饭) Air Fryer Chinese Eggplant Air Fryer Garlic Green Beans Cantonese Lettuce with Oyster Sauce (蚝油生菜)
