Gut Friendly Crispy Cauliflower Manchurian
Bold, saucy, and deeply satisfying, this Indo-Chinese-inspired dish delivers serious restaurant flavor without any of the ingredients that tend to wreak havoc on a sensitive gut. The batter is built from cassava flour and arrowroot starch ā both gentle, grain-free alternatives that crisp up beautifully in coconut oil and skip the refined flours and additives found in most takeout versions. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce, bringing that savory umami depth without the fermented soy that can be hard for some people to tolerate, while apple cider vinegar and honey round out the sauce with just the right balance of tang and sweetness. Fresh ginger shows up twice ā once in the batter and again in the sauce ā which is a smart move both for flavor and for its well-known role in supporting digestive comfort. Garlic, scallions, and carrot matchsticks add color and crunch, and the whole dish comes together in one skillet, making cleanup as easy as the cooking itself. Finished with a scatter of fresh cilantro and bright scallion greens, it looks stunning on the plate. This is the kind of recipe that proves eating with your gut in mind never has to mean settling for bland or boring.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the battered cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 lb), cut into 1 Ā½-inch florets
- ā cup cassava flour
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt
- Ā½ tsp ground turmeric
- Ā½ tsp ground ginger
- ā cup water
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, for frying
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced, dark green tops reserved for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
For serving
- scallion dark green tops, thinly sliced (optional)
- fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, honey, 1 tsp arrowroot starch, and grated fresh ginger until the starch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, 3 tbsp arrowroot starch, salt, turmeric, and ground ginger. Add the water and stir until a thick, smooth batter forms ā it should cling to the back of a spoon without dripping off immediately. Add the cauliflower florets and toss until each piece is evenly coated.
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