Paneed Cauliflower Steaks with Lemon Ginger Sauce
Crispy breaded cauliflower steaks with a bright lemon-ginger-five spice sauce. Aquafaba creates a vegan-friendly breading that clings with green onion bits. Served with jasmine rice, steamed vegetables, and finished with shichimi togarashi for heat and complexity.
Ingredients
- 2 cauliflower steaks
- ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 7 tbsp aquafaba
- 1 ¾ oz breadcrumbs
- 1 green onion, cleaned and finely chopped
- canola oil, for frying
- salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- shichimi togarashicayenne pepper1:2heatspice
milder heat level
- jasmine rice cooked, to serve
- steamed vegetables, to serve
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
- 2 lemons, juice of
- 3 tablespoon golden syrup, or sugar syrup
- 1 pinch Chinese five spice powder
- 3 ½ tbsp vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tamari, or reduced-salt soy sauce
- 1 handful chives, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Season cauliflower steaks with salt and pepper.
- 2
Set up three bowls with flour, aquafaba mixed with chopped green onion, and breadcrumbs.
- 3
Coat each steak in flour, then aquafaba mixture pressing to adhere green onion pieces, then breadcrumbs.
- 4
Heat shallow pan over medium heat with about 5 millimeters of canola oil to 325°F. Add steaks and cook 2 minutes per side until breadcrumbs are golden and cauliflower is cooked but still crisp. Keep warm in low oven.
- 5
Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water into a paste and set aside.
- 6
Heat wok over medium heat until smoking, add canola oil, then ginger and cook a few seconds.
- 7
Add lemon juice, golden syrup, five spice powder, vegetable stock, and tamari. Bring to gentle boil.
- 8
Stir in cornstarch paste to thicken sauce slightly, then add chives and mix well.
- 9
Remove steaks from oven, dust with shichimi togarashi, place on plates with jasmine rice and steamed vegetables.
- 10
Drizzle with lemon ginger sauce and serve immediately.
Tips
Press firmly when breading to maximize green onion adhesion for texture and flavor.
Use a kitchen thermometer to maintain 160°C oil temperature for even cooking.
Keep steaks warm in a low oven to maintain crispness while sauce is prepared.
Good to Know
Sauce keeps refrigerated 3 days. Steaks best eaten fresh; reheat gently in 160°C oven 5 minutes to restore crispness.
Prepare breading station and sauce components up to 4 hours ahead. Bread steaks just before cooking.
Serve immediately on warm plates with jasmine rice, steamed vegetables, sauce drizzled on top, and shichimi togarashi dusted over steaks.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip pressing green onion into aquafaba coating to avoid bland, smooth exterior.
Do not exceed 160°C oil temperature to avoid burnt coating with raw cauliflower interior.
Do not let sauce reduce too much before adding cornstarch to avoid overly thick, gluey texture.