Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This sesame cauliflower is my vegetarian take on one of the most-loved recipes on my site: sesame chicken. You get that same glossy, sticky, sweet-savoury sauce… but with cauliflower florets that turn tender in the middle and lightly charred at the edges.
What I love most is how fast it is. No batter, no oven time, no faff. Just a hot wok, a quick stir fry for flavour, then a short simmer so the sauce clings to every nook and cranny (cauliflower is basically made for sticky sauces, isn’t it?).
Free printable recipe is available on our site: kitchensanctuary.com/sticky-sesame-cauliflower
Ingredients:
650 g (~1.5lb) cauliflower florets (this is approx. 1 extra-large cauliflower)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
½ tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
To serve
2 teaspoons mixed black and white sesame seeds
2 spring onions scallions, sliced
Boiled or fried rice
Instructions
1. Heat the sesame oil in a wok over a medium heat.
2. When hot, add the cauliflower, salt and pepper. Stir fry for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower starts to become tender and is starting to brown at the edges.
3. Add the stock and turn up the heat to high, continue to cook cauliflower in the bubbling stock, tossing it together regularly, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, white wine vinegar, honey, sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, light brown sugar and soy sauce and stir together.
5. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down to medium, and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
6. Move the cauliflower over to once side of the wok and stir in the cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce. Cook for 1 further minute, then turn off the heat.
7. Serve the sesame cauliflower with rice, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Tip: Add more vegetables to this dish if you like – broccoli and mushrooms are a great addition that take a similar amount of time as the cauliflower to cook.
#quickrecipe #recipe #meatfreemonday
This sesame cauliflower is my vegetarian take on one of the most-loved recipes on my site: sesame chicken. You get that same glossy, sticky, sweet-savoury sauce… but with cauliflower florets that turn tender in the middle and lightly charred at the edges.
What I love most is how fast it is. No batter, no oven time, no faff. Just a hot wok, a quick stir fry for flavour, then a short simmer so the sauce clings to every nook and cranny (cauliflower is basically made for sticky sauces, isn’t it?).
Free printable recipe is available on our site: kitchensanctuary.com/sticky-sesame-cauliflower
Ingredients:
650 g (~1.5lb) cauliflower florets (this is approx. 1 extra-large cauliflower)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
½ tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
To serve
2 teaspoons mixed black and white sesame seeds
2 spring onions scallions, sliced
Boiled or fried rice
Instructions
1. Heat the sesame oil in a wok over a medium heat.
2. When hot, add the cauliflower, salt and pepper. Stir fry for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower starts to become tender and is starting to brown at the edges.
3. Add the stock and turn up the heat to high, continue to cook cauliflower in the bubbling stock, tossing it together regularly, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, white wine vinegar, honey, sweet chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, light brown sugar and soy sauce and stir together.
5. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down to medium, and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
6. Move the cauliflower over to once side of the wok and stir in the cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce. Cook for 1 further minute, then turn off the heat.
7. Serve the sesame cauliflower with rice, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions.
Tip: Add more vegetables to this dish if you like – broccoli and mushrooms are a great addition that take a similar amount of time as the cauliflower to cook.
#quickrecipe #recipe #meatfreemonday
