Dry Pot Cauliflower (Gan Guo Cai Hua)
Dry Pot Cauliflower is a popular and flavorful Chinese dish. The cauliflower is cooked until slightly charred, giving it a nice crispy exterior while remaining tender inside. It is then stir – fried with a variety of seasonings and ingredients, resulting in a spicy, savory, and addictive dish. The dry pot style cooking makes the flavors more concentrated, and it’s often served in a sizzling pot, adding to the dining experience.
Equipment
- A large wok or skillet
- A cutting board
- A sharp knife
- A spatula
Ingredients
- 1 medium – sized cauliflower cut into small florets
- 2 – 3 dried red chilies cut into sections
- 3 – 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 piece of ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder optional
- A handful of green onions cut into sections
- Some sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the cauliflower florets thoroughly and drain the water. You can also blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for about 1 – 2 minutes, then drain and set aside. This step helps to partially cook the cauliflower and makes it easier to stir – fry later.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the dried red chilies, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Stir – fry until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the wok. Stir – fry continuously to ensure even cooking. Keep frying until the cauliflower starts to turn slightly golden and has some charred spots. This gives it a nice crispy texture.
- Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar, and chicken powder (if using). Stir well to coat the cauliflower evenly with the seasonings.
- Finally, add the green onion sections and stir – fry for another 1 – 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a dry pot or a serving plate and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.
Notes
If you don’t like too much spiciness, you can reduce the amount of dried red chilies.
Blanching the cauliflower is optional, but it can save some cooking time. However, if you skip this step, you need to cook the cauliflower longer in the wok to make sure it’s cooked through.
You can adjust the seasonings according to your taste preferences. For example, if you like a stronger flavor, you can add a bit more soy sauce.
Blanching the cauliflower is optional, but it can save some cooking time. However, if you skip this step, you need to cook the cauliflower longer in the wok to make sure it’s cooked through.
You can adjust the seasonings according to your taste preferences. For example, if you like a stronger flavor, you can add a bit more soy sauce.
