General Tso's Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • Oil, enough for frying cauliflower
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, grated
  • 2.5 tsp red pepper flakes (start with 1.5 and add the extra if not spicy enough)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tsp Mirin
  • 4 tsp Soy Sauce, plus extra for marinating cauliflower
  • 4 tsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2 Ketchup
  • 2 carrots, cut on a bias
  • 2 celery stalks, but on a bias

Instructions:

  1. Cut cauliflower into florets and toss lightly in salt, pepper, and soy sauce (not enough to pool at the bottom of the bowl). Allow to sit for 1/2 hour
  2. Mix the ginger, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and ketchup in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Once cauliflower is marinated, add corn starch to bowl and toss. Then fry cauliflower until just crispy and remove from oil. Once all cauliflower has been fried once, fry again and allow to drain on a paper towel.
  4. In the meantime, saute garlic in the a wok. Add carrots and celery along with some salt and pepper. Saute until veggies are tender. Add sauce and cook until heated through and glossy. Toss in cauliflower.
  5. Serve with rice.