Make this easy and quick schezwan fried rice with cauliflower bites. This is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free too.

So this is a fusion of schezwan fried rice and cauliflower manchurian. This rice turned out to be a super delicious meal.
Schezwan Cauliflower Fried Rice
And this one is my favorite fried rice so far. Schezwan cauliflower fried rice is an easy quick Indo-Chinese recipe.
Last time when I was making cauliflower Manchurian for lunch I have made some extra fried cauliflowers. That time I had actually planned to make schezwan fried rice with cauliflower Manchurian. And there comes the idea of this fusion.
You don't actually need any Manchurian or gravy to accompany this fried rice. This is a must-try recipe if you are fond of Chinese food.
Similarly, you can replace the cauliflower with paneer cubes or tofu cubes. Great idea indeed. Have crispy bites of manchurian in fried rice. Also, this rice has a strong chili garlic flavor of Schezwan sauce or Szechuan sauce.
You can add vegetables like cabbage, carrots, green beans, bell peppers to the rice. But here I have not added any vegetables other than onion and garlic. If you are planning to make this fried rice, you may add a few veggies for that crunch.
While cooking veggies, make sure not to overcook them for a bite of them. Else it will turn mushy.
Also read veg manchurian, gobi manchurian. recipe here.
How to make schezwan cauliflower fried rice?
Prepare a batter with refined flour, corn starch, ginger garlic paste, red chili sauce or red chili powder/ paprika, salt.
Mix water slowly making medium-thick consistency.
Dip clean florets into batter.
Deep fry in hot oil till it's crisp and golden in color.
Remove from oil and place on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
You can also bake the coated cauliflower in the oven at 380 F for 10 minutes or air fry at 380 F for 7 - 8 minutes. Timing may vary depending on the type of air fryer, coating, size of florets too.
Heat oil in a wok or pan or skillet. Add finely chopped garlic and saute for a minute on high flame.
Now add sliced onions, green onions, shredded cabbage, carrots, or any other veggies like green beans, bell peppers, and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Don't overcook the vegetables.
Add white vinegar, soy sauce, schezwan stir-fry sauce, Sichuan pepper crushed and mix well. Add a slurry of corn starch (4 tbsp water + 1 tbsp cornstarch) followed by fried cauliflower. Mix them well. Simmer till it turns dry. Now add cooked rice and give them a nice gentle stir.
Taste and add salt if required as sauce also contains some salt in it. Garnish with lots of onion greens and serve hot. You can also serve hot garlic sauce along with this rice.
Schezwan Sauce (Szechuan Sauce)
This sauce is made with Sichuan peppers along with other spices. This is spicy hot chili garlic sauce. You can get them easily in any supermarket Asian aisle. However, if you want to make this sauce you can make them easy and store it in the refrigerator for months.
To make Szechuan sauce, soak 10 dried red chilies for 30 minutes. Drain and blend it to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan. Add finely chopped garlic 4 - 6 pods, 1-inch ginger, 2 shallots finely minced. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes till translucent. Then add the chili paste and cook till oil separates from the sides of the pan. Then add 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp Sichuan peppers (crushed), salt to taste (appx 1/2 tsp). Mix and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes to make this gluten-free, substitute plain flour with brown rice flour and cornstarch. And check for gluten-free soy sauce. Also, if you are using any store-bought sauce, check for the ingredients list if it contains any gluten.
Do I need to blanch the cauliflower?
You can blanch the cauliflower if you are making larger size pieces. But no need to simmer them even. Just soak in hot water for 7 - 8 minutes. Cover with a lid. This will be enough.
Recipe Card For Schezwan Cauliflower Fried Rice
Schezwan Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 cup cooked rice or leftover rice
- 1 cauliflower head cut into bite-sized florets
- 1/2 cup refined flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste crushed ginger + garlic
- 1 tsp salt (as per taste)
- 1 tsp hot sauce or 1/2 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
- oil for deep frying
- 2 tbsp oil (for rice)
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic crushed/ paste 4 - 6 garlic minced + 1/2 inch ginger minced
- 1/2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp schezwan sauce
- 1/2 cup spring onions
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded vegetables
- 4 tbsp water + 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
Prepare Rice
- Wash and clean rice thoroughly.
- Cook till it's just cooked. Don't overcook as dish will be messy with overcooked rice.
Prepare Cauliflower Fritters
- Mix refined flour, corn flour, salt, ginger garlic paste or crushed/minced, hot sauce.
- Add water and make a batter of medium thick consistency.
- In the meanwhile clean cauliflower florets with hot water.
- Soak them in hot water for 3 - 5 minutes (blanching).
- Then remove from water and give them a ice water bath.
- Remove from water and pat them dry.
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Now dip florets into batter one by one and drop into hot oil.
- Deep fry till it turns golden.
- Remove from oil once done and place on paper napkin to remove excess oil.
- To bake the coated cauliflower, place them on a greased and lined baking tray.
- Preheat and bake at 380 F for 12 - 15 minutes or till it turns golden and crispy.
- Air fry them at 380F for 8 - 10 minutes.
Making of Schezwan Fried Rice
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan/ skillet.
- Add chopped onion, ginger garlic, green onion, and saute for 2 minutes on high flame.
- Add other shredded veggies if adding them.
- Stir-fry on high heat for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Don't overcook the veggies or make them mushy/soft.
- Then add fried cauliflower.
- Add vinegar, soy sauce, schezwan sauce.
- Give them a nice stir.
- Now add the cornflour slurry to the pan and mix well.
- Simmer till it becomes completely dry.
- Add cooked rice and give it a nice and gentle stir. (keep on high flame)
- Add salt as per taste. Add black pepper and onion greens.
- Garnish with some more spring onions and serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
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