Schezwan Cauliflower Fried Rice

Make this easy and quick schezwan fried rice with cauliflower bites. It's 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

This is my favorite fried rice recipe so far. Schezwan cauliflower fried rice is an easy, quick Indo-Chinese recipe.

When I was making cauliflower manchurian for lunch last time, I made some extra fried cauliflowers. I planned to make schezwan fried rice with cauliflower manchurian at that time. And there came the idea of this fusion.

You don't 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. This is a great idea, indeed. Have crispy bites of manchurian in fried rice. Also, this rice has a strong chili-garlic flavor reminiscent of Schezwan sauce or Szechuan sauce.

Add vegetables like cabbage, carrots, green beans, and bell peppers to the rice. But here, I have not added vegetables other than onion and garlic. If you plan to make this fried rice, add a few veggies for that crunch.

While cooking veggies, make sure not to overcook them for a bite. Else, it will turn mushy.

Also, read veg manchurian, and gobi manchurian recipes here.

How to make schezwan cauliflower fried rice?

Prepare a batter with refined flour, cornstarch, ginger garlic paste, red chili sauce or red chili powder/ paprika, and salt.

Mix water slowly, making a medium-thick consistency.

Dip clean florets into the 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 also vary depending on the type of air fryer, coating, and size of florets.

Heat oil in a wok pan or skillet. Add finely chopped garlic and saute for a minute on high flame.

Add sliced onions, green onions, shredded cabbage, carrots, or other veggies like green beans and bell peppers, and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Don't overcook the vegetables.

Mix well with white vinegar, soy sauce, schezwan stir-fry sauce, and Sichuan pepper. 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 the sauce contains some salt. 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 it easy and store it in the refrigerator for months.

To make Szechuan sauce, soak ten 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, two 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 ½ tsp soy sauce, ½ tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 tsp Sichuan peppers (crushed), and salt to taste (approximately ½ tsp). Mix and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

To make this gluten-free, substitute plain flour with brown rice flour and cornstarch. Also, check for gluten-free soy sauce. If you use any store-bought sauce, check the ingredients list to see if it contains gluten.

Do I need to blanch the cauliflower?

You can blanch the cauliflower if you are making larger pieces. But there is no need to simmer them. Just soak them in hot water for 7 - 8 minutes, covered with a lid. This will be enough.

Schezwan Cauliflower Fried Rice

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