Chinese-American · main

General Tso's Cauliflower

General Tso's Cauliflower reads umami 6.8, sweetness 5.9 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 33 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.8 · Sweetness 5.9 · Salinity 5.2 · Richness 4.4 · Sourness 3.6 · Allium 3.5 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Heat 1.7 · Nutty 1.6 · Fruity 1.2 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2 · Earthy 1.0

What's in it (16)

• head cauliflower — 907 g
• cornstarch — 118 g
• all-purpose flour — 30 g
• salt — 5 g
• eggs — 200 g
• oil — 82 g
• garlic — 9 g
• ginger — 15 g
• scallions — 400 g
• soybean soy sauce — 118 g
• rice wine vinegar — 44 g
• light-brown sugar — 67 g
• hoisin sauce — 30 g
• tomato paste — 15 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• cornstarch — 15 g

Time & effort: about 33 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 114.7 kcal, 3 g protein, 5.2 g fat, 13.9 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a large rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack. Trim the cauliflower into 1 1/2-inch florets and pat very dry with a towel — dry florets are what let the coating crisp instead of steam.
2. Whisk the cornstarch, flour, and salt together in a wide bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl. Working in batches, dip each floret in egg, then dredge in the cornstarch mixture, pressing gently so it sticks, and shake off the excess.
3. Carefully pull the hot baking sheet from the oven, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, and tilt to coat the pan. Arrange the coated florets in a single layer without crowding, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons more of the oil. Roast until deeply golden and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
4. Flip each floret and roast until crisp and golden all over, 12 to 15 minutes more.
5. While the cauliflower roasts, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin, and tomato paste together in a bowl until smooth.
6. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites; saute until fragrant, about 45 seconds — pull the pan off the heat a beat early if it starts to color, since burnt garlic turns the whole sauce bitter.
7. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and add the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
8. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the crispy roasted cauliflower, and toss quickly and gently just to coat — work fast and serve right away so the crust doesn't have time to soften.
10. Plate immediately and scatter with the scallion greens.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• General Tso's Chicken — Chinese-American
• Beef Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) — Japanese
• Longganisa (Filipino Pork Sausage) — Filipino
• Sheet-Pan Turkey Meatloaf with Green Beans — American
• Butternut Squash Soup With Seared Radicchio — Other

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.