Charred Cauliflower and Crispy Tofu with Sweet Peanut Sauce

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Knopf, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Tenderheart here

Ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 head of cauliflower (about 1lb/900g), stem trimmed, and cut into florets
• Sea salt and black pepper
• ⅔ cup (75 g) chickpea flour (besan)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 14 ounces (400g) extra-firm tofu, sliced into ¼ -inch (5-6 mm) thick slices
• 2 Persian (mini) cucumbers, cut into ¾ -inch (2 cm) chunks
• 4 jammy or medium-boiled large eggs, halved
• Handful of bean sprouts
• Handful of crispy fried shallots/onion
• 1 lime, quartered

Sweet Peanut Sauce:

• ½ cup (135 g) creamy peanut butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 ½ tablespoons kecap manis
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Method:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat for 15 seconds. Working in batches, add the cauliflower florets, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until charred and tender. Remove from the pan and season with sea salt and black pepper.
2. Scatter the chickpea flour onto a large plate and add the garlic powder or garlic, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and season with black pepper. Stir to combine. Place each tofu slice in the chickpea flour mixture and toss to coat on both sides.
3. Wipe out the pan and place again over medium-high heat. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and, working in batches, add the tofu slices and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. When cool, cut each tofu slice into triangles.
4. To make the sweet peanut sauce, place a small saucepan over medium heat and all the ingredients. Add ¾ cup (180ml) of water and whisk until smooth and combined. The sauce should be the consistency of thickened cream; if the sauce is still too thick, add another ¼ cup (60ml) of water and keep whisking until smooth. Remove from the heat. The sauce will thicken over time, so if you aren’t using it straight away, add a tablespoon or so of water to loosen it up again.
5. To serve, place the cauliflower, tofu, cumber, egg, bean sprouts, crispy fried shallots/ onions and lime quarters on a plate. Serve with the peanut sauce on the side or drizzle over the top.