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Dry-pot cauliflower
Gan guo hua cai 干锅花菜: Hunan's chargrilled cauliflower with chillies and garlic, served sizzling
Hunan's dry-pot restaurants bring this to the table in a small wok over a burner, still crackling, and it is one of the most ordered dishes in Changsha. Loose-headed cauliflower is used there because its long, thin stems char quickly; ordinary cauliflower works if you cut it into small, flat florets. Restaurants usually fry it with slices of pork belly, but this version is fully vegetarian, with smoky charred edges, plenty of garlic and a deep chilli heat from dried and fresh peppers. Eat it with rice and a cooling soup. The common mistake is boiling the cauliflower first, which makes it soft and stops it charring; dry-fry it instead. Chef's tip: let the florets sit still in the hot wok for a minute at a time so they blacken in spots, because those scorched patches are the whole point.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb cauliflowercut into small, flat florets with long stems
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 8 cloves garlichalved
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 8 dried red chilliessnipped into pieces
- 2 fresh red chilliessliced on the diagonal
- 2 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
For seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ⅓ lb cauliflower and shake it as dry as you can in a colander, then pat with a cloth. Wet florets steam instead of charring.
Step 2: Heat a dry wok over a high heat, add the cauliflower and toss, then leave it still for a minute at a time, until the edges are browned and blackened in patches and the stems bend slightly.
7 minStep 3: Tip the cauliflower onto a plate.
Step 4: Heat 4 tbsp neutral oil in the wok over a medium heat. Fry 8 cloves garlic and 4 slices fresh ginger until the garlic is golden at the edges.
2 minStep 5: Add 8 dried red chillies and 1 tbsp Pixian chilli bean paste (doubanjiang) and fry for 1 minute, stirring, until the oil turns red; don't let the chillies burn.
1 minStep 6: Turn the heat to high, return the cauliflower with 2 fresh red chillies, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt and toss hard until every floret is coated and sizzling.
3 minStep 7: Splash 1 tsp Chinese black vinegar around the edge of the wok, add 2 spring onions and toss for 30 seconds. Serve straight away, ideally in a small wok or a heated pot so it keeps sizzling.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dry-pot cauliflower take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cauliflower?
- Broccoli, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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