• Wet Mix: Add the vinegar into the soy milk or other plant milk. Allow to curdle for at least 5 minutes. This will create a buttermilk-like consistency.
• Dry Mix: In a separate bowl, mix together all the other dry ingredients for the batter.
• Pour the vinegar and milk mixture into the dry mixture.
• Mix until there are no longer any signs of dry flour. This will be a thick pancake batter-like consistency. Lumps are fine, so don't overmix.
• Evenly coat the florets in the batter. You can do this in batches.
• Place each floret from the batter into the breadcrumb mixture. Coat well using one hand (this is to avoid messy hands—I usually use one hand for dry and one hand for wet when coating broccoli).
• Press down the bread crumbs on the broccoli. Set aside once coated.
• Repeat this until all florets are coated.

Bang Bang Sauce

• For the sauce, mix everything in a small bowl. Feel free to adjust to your desired taste.
• (See the baking or air-frying option below)

Heat a frying pot or pan with some oil. Once hot (you can add in some bread crumbs to test the heat—it will start to rapidly bubble once hot), place the broccoli florets per batch (don’t overcrowd the pot) and cook until golden brown, moving it around on each side every 2-3 minutes or so.
• Once golden brown, set aside on a strainer to drain excess oil. Let cool for a few minutes. Cook the remaining florets.

To Serve

• Toss the fried broccoli with the sauce in a large bowl to coat evenly. Serve and enjoy immediately.
• Another option is to use the bang bang sauce for dipping if you plan to keep the broccoli for longer and allow it to remain crisp for longer.

Air-fried/Baked vs Deep Fried

• I personally prefer the deep fried ones especially if you want to enjoy them as-is and use the bang bang sauce for dipping. The air-fried/baked ones come out quite dry (even when sprayed with a generous amount of oil before cooking) so they need to be coated in a lot of sauce.
• The main difference visually? The deep-fried broccoli are more evenly golden brown while the baked/air-fried ones turn out quite pale.

Baking option:

• Heat your oven to 350F. Line your tray with some parchment paper or a silicon mat if you have one. Spray a generous amount of oil on the broccoli.
• Bake the broccoli for 35-40 minutes or until crisp. Flip halfway through cooking. Note that the broccoli will not turn as golden brown throughout compared to when they’re deep fried.
• You can coat the florets in the bang bang sauce and then for another 8-10 minutes at 350F for the sauce to be absorbed.

For Air-Frying:

• Line your air-fryer basket with some parchment paper or a silicon mat if you have one. Spray a generous amount of oil on the broccoli.
• You can cook your broccoli at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp, flip halfway through cooking. Note that air-fryer settings can vary so you can try your settings and adjust from there.
• You can coat the florets in the bang bang sauce and then air-fry for another 7-8 minutes at 350F for the sauce to be absorbed.