America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish with rice

Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime1 tablespoon light brown sugar ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cauliflower

1 cup coconut milk 2 teaspoons red curry paste 1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon3 pounds cauliflower (about 1 large head), cut into even ¾-inch florets (about 4 cups)2 medium cloves garlic, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Instructions

    for thai sauce base

  1. Mix fish sauce, lime zest and juice, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add coconut milk and curry paste to Thai Sauce Base, and whisk in bowl until smooth; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until just barely tender, about 3 minutes. Push cauliflower to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium-high; stir in sauce mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes; add snow peas and continue to simmer until cauliflower is fully tender, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with basil; serve immediately.
Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish with rice

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cauliflower

1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
3 pounds cauliflower (about 1 large head), cut into even ¾-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cauliflower

1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
3 pounds cauliflower (about 1 large head), cut into even ¾-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cauliflower

1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
3 pounds cauliflower (about 1 large head), cut into even ¾-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or presed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Why This Recipe Works

For our Thai-style stir-fried cauliflower, we wanted to find a way to give our dish powerful flavor while using ingredients already in the pantry. We found that a simple sauce base of fish sauce, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes gave our cauliflower the complex flavor we were looking for. Coconut milk and red curry paste rounded out the sauce.

Instructions

    for thai sauce base

  1. Mix fish sauce, lime zest and juice, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add coconut milk and curry paste to Thai Sauce Base, and whisk in bowl until smooth; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until just barely tender, about 3 minutes. Push cauliflower to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium-high; stir in sauce mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes; add snow peas and continue to simmer until cauliflower is fully tender, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with basil; serve immediately.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.