Baked Teriyaki Cauliflower Balls (Vegan)
Anyone up for a bowl of these Baked Teriyaki Cauliflower Balls with rice? I made these from scratch using (of course) cauliflower before baking them and then coating the balls in homemade teriyaki sauce! These are a great way to get in those veggies and also super delicious as is or with some rice!
Ingredients
Cauliflower Balls
- 600 g raw cauliflower (1 medium head)
- 2 cups cooked brown rice feel free to sub with black or red rice
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or sub with more oats for gluten-free
- 1/2 cup instant oatmeal grits or processed oats* (see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp salt or more, to taste
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or glaze, (homemade recipe here)
- Neutral oil for cooking
Batter Mixture* see notes
- 1/4 cup (40g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp soy milk or other plant milk like oat, almond
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp baking powder
Optional
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
To Serve
- Steamed rice
Instructions
Cauliflower Steps
- Slice or break apart the cauliflower into florets. Boil some water into a pot. Once it boils, add in the cauliflower florets. Cover the pot. Leave to cook for 4-5 minutes until they’re still crisp on the outside but cooked through when stabbed with a fork. Do not overcook since the cauliflower can turn out mushy.You can also steam your cauliflower.
- Place in a strainer to drain out excess water. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Roughly chop into very small chunks. You can also opt to quickly process the cauliflower.
- Place the rice and oats in the food processor and quickly process until combined. Remove the rice and oats then transfer into a bowl. Add in the roughly chopped/processed cauliflower and salt. Add in the batter mixture or flax egg. Mix well. I find that the best way to mix everything is with my hands but you can also opt to use 2 spatulas.
- The mixture should hold up well together. If you think it's a bit too wet, feel free to add more processed oatmeal/flour or bread crumbs.
- If baking, heat the oven to 400F.
- Shape the mixture into balls or into your shape of choice!
- If baking, place the balls on a lined baking tray. I lined mine with some parchment paper. Make sure the balls don’t stick to one another.
- . Sprinkle or brush with a little oil before baking at 400F for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through cooking.
- If pan frying, head a non-stick pan with a little canola or neutral oil enough to cover the surface of the pan (see photo). Add in the balls and pan fry on each side for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until golden brown.
- Move around to create golden brown crusts on each side
- When cooked, set aside in a bowl if you're gonna use bell pepper and onions. If not, you can immediately add in the teriyaki sauce.
- Heat the same pan with a little bit of oil then sauté the chopped bell peppers and onions until cooked.
- Pour over around 1/2 cup of the teriyaki glaze over the cooked balls and mix well. Add in the sautéed bell peppers and onions, if using. You can also opt to use the teriyaki glaze as a dipping sauce!
Storage tips
- If you intend to cook this beforehand, you can store the balls and teriyaki glaze separately. Before eating them, you can simply heat the balls on a pan or in the oven. For the glaze, you can simply microwave it or heat it in a pan until smooth before mixing it with the balls. Note that the glaze will naturally harden and turn jelly-like when refrigerated due to the cornstarch.
Teriyaki Glaze
- In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. Feel free to adjust the sugar according to desired sweetness.
- Heat a small saucepan, add in the sauce mix and leave to simmer. Once it boils, pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn off heat.
- Note: You can store the glaze in an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. It will naturally thicken up when refrigerated but you can of course opt to heat it before use.
Notes
Cauliflower Balls
- Oats: you can quickly process whole rolled oats in a food processor until they are in small bits. Do not over process them since they will turn into a flour-like consistency.
- Batter mixture: Instead of the batter mix, feel free to make a flax 'egg' by mixing 1 tbsp flax seed meal with 3 tbsp water and leave for 10 minutes until thick for a GF option.
- Soy sauce: If using regular soy sauce, lessen to 2-3 tbsp since soy sauce can sometimes be a bit too salty. Feel free to adjust the measurements depending on your desired sweetness or saltiness.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Please leave a rating or comment and share a photo on Instagram, and tag me @thefoodietakesflight or use #thefoodietakesflight :)