Roasted Chickpeas and Cauliflower with Sesame Sauce

@cokocooks

When I was younger I had a favorite Asian restaurant my mom would always take my sisters and I to. We would start with the egg drop soup and then my favorite dish was the sesame chicken! The chicken was coated in a delicious sauce that had a slight sweetness and then covered with sesame seeds to add some texture. Ofcourse the chicken was fried and I’m sure the sauce was pretty indulgent. I decided to recreate this favorite meal to be a little more nutritious with sesame cauliflower. The full recipe is made with cauliflower and chickpeas but the sauce will work with any vegetable, chicken, or even tofu. You could even use the sauce as a marinade.

Ingredients

Now the roasted cauliflower I made to pair with the sauce is just a general roasted cauliflower covered in a little avocado oil and oat flour to absorb some water. You can of course make the dish more indulgent and make a batter to coat the cauliflower for increased crispness and make it more “fried” like. I also made some super simple dry roasted crispy chickpeas to add some crunch and texture with the sesame cauliflower.

The sauce is definitely the star of the show and I recommend coating the chickpeas and cauliflower in it. It has some sweetness from the sugar and honey. The honey also allows the sauce to have some stickiness to bind to the vegetables.The Asian flavor really comes from the sesame oil and soy sauce. The soy sauce also provides plenty of saltiness to compliment the sweet. The ketchup also adds a slight tang to tame down all the flavors. Top this off just like the original recipe with a bunch of sesame seeds and a few green onions.

I served the vegetables and chickpeas over rice with a sprinkle of green onions, but you could serve it over rice noodles, or even over a bed of lettuce. This recipe is also super simple to make. Throw the veggies or chicken in the oven and then mix up the sauce while it cooks to keep it nice and easy. I hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as the sesame chicken at a Asian restaurant. I even love doubling the batch of sesame sauce. That way I can use it throughout the week for dipping or as a sauce for other meals. So grab everything you need to make this delicious meal. I would love to know how it compares to the traditional Asian style meal. Also, if you like this Asian inspired meal be sure to check out my vegan stir fry recipe!

Print Pin

No ratings yet

Roasted Chickpeas and Cauliflower with Sesame Sauce

Inspired by sesame chicken this dish is all about the sesame sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Sesame Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar free ketchup
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey maple syrup does not taste the same
• 1 tsp tahini or cashew butter
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp garlic
• 3 tbsp lakanto sweetner or coconut sugar
• 1/2 tbsp arrowroot starch
• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce I use the pretty thai brand

Veggies and Chickpeas

• 2 medium head cauliflower
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas
• avocado oil spray
• pinch flakey sea salt
• 2-3 chopped green onions

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 and line 2 roasting pans with parchment paper or use air fryer.
• Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl
• Spray cauliflower with avocado oil to coat and sprinkle 1/2 cup oat flour. Toss to coat and place cauliflower on roasting pan. Make sure no excess flour is on the roasting pan because it will burn.
• Place in the oven to roast for about 45-50 minutes. Mix after 20 minutes and take out of oven after desired crispness. Or roast in the air fryer for about 20 minutes on 350.
• On the second roasting pan place drained and dried chickpeas with a sprinkle of salt.
• Let roast for 20-30 minutes until lightly brown and crispy. Or place in the air fryer at 350 for about 10 minutes shaking occasionally.
• In a sauce pan, add the dressing ingredients on medium heat. Bring to a low boil, and then allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Once the veggies and chickpeas are done, take out the amount you want to serve and place in a bowl. Pour over dressing and mix to coat. This step is optional if you just want to pour the sauce over the veggies but I like to coat them.
• Serve over rice, rice noodles, greens, or whatever you want. Add a few green onions and a lot of sesame seed.
• For leftovers leave sauce and veggies separate so the cauliflower does not get soggy. Dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week to serve with whatever you want.

Notes

Nutrition facts are calculated only for the sesame sauce with monk fruit sweetener.

Nutrition

Sugar: 4.2g

* Follow me on instagram @_cokocooks or feel free to ask questions or leave any comments!

Ingredients in a different colour are products I use for my cooking/baking and recommend. Some are affiliate links and I do earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting cokocooks

Please follow and like us: