Orange Cauliflower

40 Mins

Serves 6 People

Author: Rajni Ram

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This recipe has been on my mind for a long time now. At that time all festivals were lined up, and so I pushed this down on the list. Now Navarathri(Indian festival), is over, and I wanted to get to this before Diwali comes up .

Well, the dish is similar to Gobi /Cauliflower Manchurian, except for the sauce. As the name suggests, it is an Orange juice based sauce. This recipe may vary from the other ones, for the reason that I have used the Orange rind,which imparts the real flavour. I would strongly recommend using it, as it gives so much Umami to the dish. I have also used the store bought Orange Juice. This helped in two ways. One, I didn’t have to add sugar, as the store bought juices have added sugar. Secondly, squeezing the juice at home, means having to squeeze many oranges, or if using a processor, then removing the seeds, as they make the juice bitter.

Orange cauliflower pairs very well with a noodle dish, or fried rice. While you are here I request you to have a look at other recipes on the blog like- Tofu and Stir Fried vegetables in Hot Schezwan Sauce, Gobi Fried Rice, Soya Chunks Biriyani, Creamy Pink Sauce Pasta, and more…

Ingredients

Cauliflower 2 medium sized heads cut to florets
Orange juice (store bought) 1.5 cups divided
Refined Flour 3/4cup
Cornflour 1/4 cup
Orange Rind of 1 whole Orange, julienne
Garlic 4-5 chopped finely
Ginger 1 inch piece chopped finely
Green Chillies 2 chopped finely
Spring onion greens, and the bulb chopped finely 1 bunch
Red Chilli Sauce 2 tbsp
Sechzwan Sauce 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Soya Sauce 1 tsp
Apple cider Vinegar(ACV) 1-2 tsp
Bread crumbs 1 cup
Oil for deep frying
Pepper powder 2 tsp divided
Red chilli powder 1 tsp divided
Cornflour 1 tbsp
water 1/2 cup

Chop the cauliflower to florets, pour boiling water over them, add 1/2 tsp salt,and keep it covered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes drain water and let the florets cool down.
Now add the Refined flour/maida, corn flour, salt, pepper powder, and red chilli powder, to the florets and mix them well using your fingers. Now add water teaspoon by teaspoon, so that the flour sticks well to the florets. I used about 4 teaspoons of water.
Now take one floret at a time, roll it on the bread crumbs and drop it gently into hot oil, and deep fry. Drain on absorbent paper. Alternately arrange the florets on a baking tray lined with greased butter paper, and bake at 200 C for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflowers turn a light brown.

To Make the Sauce:
Take the corn flour in a cup and add cold water to it, mix and make a slurry, and keep it aside. Now Take Olive oil/ refined oil in a Pan and heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies, spring onion and greens, the Orange rind julienne, retaining about 2 tsp for garnish. Saute on high heat for a minute. Remove it onto a plate and set aside.
Now to the same pan add 1 cup of the Orange juice, and bring it to a boil. Add salt, Soy Sauce, Red Chilli sauce (or a mix of 2 tbsp Red chilli sauce plus 1 tbsp of Schezwan sauce/chutney), Apple Cider Vinegar, and mix well.
Now stir the cornflour plus water mixture and add it to the pan gradually, stirring simultaneously. Keep stirring, until the mixture turns a little white and then pale and glossy. Now add about 1/2 cup or less of Orange juice to adjust consistency to your choice(check notes). Finally, add red chilli powder, and pepper powder,and stir well(check notes).

To Assemble:
Drop the fried/baked cauliflower florets into the sauce and mix well, such that the florets are well coated by the sauce. Now add the sauteed onion-garlic-chilli , to the cauliflower, and give it all a goof mix. Garnish with reserved Orange rind,and serve.

Chop the cauliflower to florets, pour boiling water over them, add 1/2 tsp salt,and keep it covered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes drain water and let the florets cool down. Now add the Refined flour/maida, corn flour, salt, pepper powder, and red chilli powder, to the florets and mix them well using your fingers. Now add water teaspoon by teaspoon, so that the flour sticks well to the florets. I used about 4 teaspoons of water. Now take one floret at a time, roll it on the bread crumbs and drop it gently into hot oil, and deep fry. Drain on absorbent paper. Alternately arrange the florets on a baking tray lined with greased butter paper, and bake at 200 C for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflowers turn a light brown.

To Make the Sauce: Take the corn flour in a cup and add cold water to it, mix and make a slurry, and keep it aside. Now Take Olive oil/ refined oil in a Pan and heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies, spring onion and greens, the Orange rind julienne, retaining about 2 tsp for garnish. Saute on high heat for a minute. Remove it onto a plate and set aside. Now to the same pan add 1 cup of the Orange juice, and bring it to a boil. Add salt, Soy Sauce, Red Chilli sauce (or a mix of 2 tbsp Red chilli sauce plus 1 tbsp of Schezwan sauce/chutney), Apple Cider Vinegar, and mix well. Now stir the cornflour plus water mixture and add it to the pan gradually, stirring simultaneously. Keep stirring, until the mixture turns a little white and then pale and glossy. Now add about 1/2 cup or less of Orange juice to adjust consistency to your choice(check notes). Finally, add red chilli powder, and pepper powder,and stir well(check notes).

To Assemble: Drop the fried/baked cauliflower florets into the sauce and mix well, such that the florets are well coated by the sauce. Now add the sauteed onion-garlic-chilli , to the cauliflower, and give it all a goof mix. Garnish with reserved Orange rind,and serve.

Notes:

In step 5 I recommend using a mix of red chilli sauce and Sechzwan sauce/chutney. Since I added only red chilli sauce, the Orange saice was a little on the sweeter side, and I added Sechzwan chutney later to adjust.
If adding Sechzwan Chutney/sauce, you can skip adding the red chilli powder, and pepper powder to the sauce.
Taste the Orange sauce and adjust, salt and spice, before adding the cauliflower florets. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with orange juice.