Chinese Buffalo Style Cauliflower Florets SERVES : 2 | PREPARATION TIME 5 MINUTES | COOKING TIME 10 MINUTES 

 
So: "What Chinese dishes are vegetarian?" 
 
With a handful of ingredients, you to can be wok'ing up fantastic vegetarian food at home! 
 
In this post I'll not only show you how to cook vegetarian food but also "how to order vegetarian Chinese food" 
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I was back with my TV family and it just so happened to be 'National Vegetarian Week' which ran from the 10th - 16th May. So after some head scratching I decided to showcase a brand new recipe I'd been working on for a new book I'm writing.  
Buffalo Florets
Being a HUGE fan of American style Buffalo Wings I'd created this amazing Chinese style Buffalo sauce which is tangy, spicy and sour and I knew it would be sooooo good smothered over crispy cauliflower florets.  
Steph's Packed Lunch Guests
I was joined in the kitchen by Steph and Chris Kamara (Kammy) who last time couldn't try my food as he is a strict vegetarian, so I was chuffed I was cooking a veggie dish. Just before we went live I heard a little voice in my ear saying "can I cook and serve the dish in 5 minutes and 30 seconds", I'd just lost 4 and half minutes as another piece in the show had ran over.  
So after a frantic 5 minutes of LIVE TV cooking I served the dish to Steph and Kammy and to my horror on Kammy's very first mouthful he began to cough and choke. Basically he'd inhaled as he stuffed a piece of cauliflower in to his mouth and the vinegar fumes from the sauce hit the back of his throat.  
 
The coughing and spluttering continued for the next 30 seconds as I did my piece to camera, TV Gold at it's very best.  

Chinese Style Buffalo Florets 

 
Preparation is the key to success in any Chinese kitchen, ensure you gather all of your ingredients and have everything chopped ready for the wok before you begin to cook. 
Once all of your ingredients are chopped you've then got to get your wok hot! 

Equipment needed 

Wok 
Chopping Board 
Sharp Knife or Chopper 
Wooden Spoon 
Serving Plate 

Cooking video you might like 

I have an entire series of Chinese Takeaway Cookalong videos on my YouTube Channel, CLICK HERE and don't forget to hit that Subscibe Button  
If you like a really thick batter you can simply add a little more whisked egg and corn flour to create a thicker coating before you begin to fry.  
Serving the dish is completely up to you, personally I like to dip my florets in a blue cheese dip or with sour cream before attempting to stuff an entire floret in my mouth.  
In my opinion this dish is the perfect snack dish whilst watching a really, really, really cheesy movie.  

Recipes I think you'll like! 

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Cooking : 10 Minutes 
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Asian Slaw 
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Tofu in Black Bean Sauce
Tofu in Black Bean Sauce 
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ORDERING A VEGGIE TAKEAWAY 
Having worked in many Chinese kitchens throughout the UK here are my top tips to ordering a vegetarian Chinese Takeaway. 
 
1. Do Not order anything that is deep fried 
I can hand on heart guarantee that your veggie mini spring rolls and your portion of Chinese chips will have been cooked in the same fryer as the customer before you who has just ordered Pork Balls and Spare Ribs.  
 
2. Ask the chef to use clean oil before he begins to stir fry  
In most takeaways and restaurants oil is often recycled after frying and is then used to stir fry.  

Chinese Style Buffalo Cauliflower Florets SERVES : 2 | PREPARATION TIME 5 MINUTES | COOKING TIME 10 MINUTES 

Enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters alike, these crispy coated tender florets smothered in tangy, spicy buffalo sauce will be a stampede on your tastebuds! 
 

INGREDIENTS 

200g to 300g Cauliflower Florets 
¼ Cup Cornflour 
1 Cup Vegetable Oil 
1 Egg, whisked 
2 tbsp. Doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean sauce) 
5 tbsp. Rice Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar 
1 ½ tbsp. Tomato Puree 
2 tbsp. Light Soy sauce 
2 tbsp. Sugar 

METHOD 

Place whisked egg into a large bowl, add your cauliflower florets which should all roughly be the same size (like a chicken drumette), mix well and then add your cornflour ensuring each floret is coated in the egg and cornflour mixture. 
 
Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat and fry the cornflour coated cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes stirring regularly to ensure even cooking and browning. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and leave to one side. 
 
Add the chilli bean sauce, vinegar, tomato puree, soy sauce and sugar into a large saucepan or clean wok. Stir well and cook for a minute or 2 until just starting to bubble and the sugar has dissolved. Now add your cooked cauliflower florets, give everything a final mix and transfer to your serving plate and enjoy. 
 
 
Serve with a dish of Carrot and Celery batons and a blue cheese or sour cream dip 
 
For more Vegetarian recipes please take a look at my Veggie Chinese Takeaway Cook Book  

More fantastic recipes for you to try 

Lychee Crush
Lychee Crush 
Serves : 2 
Preparation : 2 minutes 
Cooking : 0 
Crispy Mini Spring Rolls
Crispy Mini Spring Rolls 
Serves : 4 
Preparation : 20 minutes 
Cooking : 15 minutes 
Hong Kong Crispy Noodles
Hong Kong Crispy Noodles 
Serves : 2 
Preparation : 10 Minutes 
Cooking : 10 Minutes 

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Leave a comment 
Huge thanks to Duncan Cuthbertson (Steph's Packed Lunch) 

Hi, I'm Kwoklyn 

I literally grew up in the kitchens of my parent's Chinese takeaways and restaurants. 
 
I’m pretty sure if you cut me in half it would say “10 minute” (in a broad Chinese accent), which is pretty much what we told every customer who asked how long their order would be. 

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