Cauliflower With Thai Sauce
Steamed Cauliflower drenched in a hot pepper sauce with a coconut base.
Whenever we travel I take notes and photographs of my husband and I’s favorite dishes. Which means I can recreate some of these meals in my own kitchen upon our return. This past March we spent 5 days in Scottsdale, Arizona and two days in Sedona Arizona. One of our favorite restaurants was The Herb Box located in old town Scottsdale which had one of my husband’s favorite dish, Korean Fried Cauliflower. The small heads of cauliflower were still slightly crunchy, but covered in a warm sauce that was spicy and slightly sweet. It was the perfect appetizer, very flavorful but a light way to start our meal.
I was hoping to find a traditional recipe for Korean spicy sauce, but I could not find gochujuang paste which is the base of most traditional Korean sauces. I did find a good quality Thai red curry paste, which I decided to use even though it has a different flavor profile than a Korean spicy sauce. Thai red curry paste is pretty spicy, the addition of fresh lime juice helps to cool the spiciness. Coconut always goes with the flavors of Thai inspired sauces, therefore I used it as the main liquid in the sauce. I also added some onions and garlic which is always good in any sauce.
My husband and I both loved the end result of this dish, spicy and slightly sweet from the addition of coconut sugar. As always thanks for visiting my second favorite place, Emma’s Daily Bread. CHEERS TO A HAPPY & HEALTHY DAY!
Thai Inspired Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 Head Cauliflower
- 1/4 Cup plus 1 TBSP Red Curry Paste Also known as Thai Paste
- 1 Small onion Diced
- 4 Large Garlic cloves Minced
- 1/4 Cup olive oil
- 2 Cups coconut milk
- 3 TBSP Lime Juice Freshly Squeezed
- 1.5 TBSP Fish Sauce
- 1 Heaping TBSP Coconut Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Powder Taste Sauce before adding & omit if it is spicy enough for you.
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- cilantro For garnish
Instructions
- In a frying pan mix the diced onions, minced garlic, red curry paste and olive oil, cook until onions are softened. Stir frequently while these ingredients are cooking.
- Once onions are softened, add the coconut milk and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or till sauce has thickened. Add the rest of the ingredients accept for the cilantro. Before adding the red pepper powder, taste the sauce and if you want it spicier add the red pepper powder otherwise omit it.
- To make the cauliflower, break it off into large pieces, as seen in the picture. I steamed the cauliflower in a large frying pan that had a two inch depth. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Place a lid onto the pot and simmer until cauliflower is slightly softened but still has a slight crunch to it.
- Place cauliflower on a fancy but simple serving dish and cover completely with the oh so yummy spicy thai sauce!
