Dollop
Air fryer gochujang cauliflower
Crispy air-fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet, spicy, sticky gochujang glaze, with rice and salty edamame on the side.
- 40 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $2.67 a serving
- 670 calories
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- ½ head cauliflower
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, sliced
From your pantry
- 1½ cups water
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Each serving has about 670 calories, 20 g protein, 118 g carbs and 15 g fat, and costs about $2.67 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice and bring it with the water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a .
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, turn to low and cook 15 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets and with the oil, then the cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt until lightly dusted.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Air fry at 400°F in one layer until and at the edges, 14 to 16 minutes, shaking halfway.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 15 min
Meanwhile, the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and 1 tablespoon water in a small over medium heat until glossy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
the edamame in a small pot of water for 4 minutes, and sprinkle with the rest of the salt.
Boil. Boiling means heating a liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. It’s the fastest way to cook pasta, potatoes and eggs, because it’s as hot as water gets.
How you’ll know: Bubbles are breaking across the whole surface, not just at the edges, and steam is rising.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
High heatTimer: 4 min
the hot cauliflower with the and sesame oil in a big bowl. Top with sesame seeds and green onions and serve with the rice and edamame.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Glaze. A glaze is a thin, glossy coating, often sweet, brushed or spooned over food near the end. It adds shine and flavor, and because it has sugar, it can burn quickly.
How you’ll know: The food looks shiny and evenly coated, sticky at the edges but not blackened.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
