sweet and sour battered cauliflower

I decided it was a good time to start sharing savoury posts as well on here. One of my favourite things back in my meat eating days was a sweet and sour chicken from the local takeaway. Now you can get it made with vegetables on request but you know when you just don't know what really goes into something "the unknown" ingredients. This sweet and sour sauce is not too sweet either which is another thing i often find from Chinese takeout and the jars of sauces as well, its more sweet than a balance of both. This to me is just the right amount of sweet and sour and contains no refined sugars. Perfect for a Friday night fake-away. I often hold what i call vegan night on a weekend either at mine or at a friends house and i make food that we would have eaten even if it was not vegan, this was a massive success and there was not a drop of sauce left.

Serves 2-3 people

 For the sauce;

1/4 cup agave 

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup passata  

2tbs light soy 

1 small tin of pineapple slices and the juice (230g) 

4 spring onions chopped small 

1 red pepper chopped into small chunks 

For the battered cauliflower 

1 large cauliflower 

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder 

1tsp baking powder 
1tsp vegetable stock powder

pinch of salt and pepper 

1/3 cup cornflour 

2/3 cup plain flour 

enough carbonated water to make a thick batter 

1tbs cornflour as a dry coat first 

Start off by making the battered cauliflower, wash and microwave the cauliflower on full power for 5 minutes. Take it out and dry it off and place it in a zip lock bag and add the tbs of cornflower and shake the bag to coat it. Now make up the batter by adding both flours, baking powder, stock powder, garlic and onion powder. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper then slowly add in the carbonated water until it makes a thick batter. Add this to the bag and give it another shake. Next take a tray and place a rack over the top and spay it with oil so the cauliflower doe not stick. Place in the oven 200c fan for 20-30 minutes until it turns golden brown. 

Now the cauliflower is in the oven lets get the sauce started place the agave, soy, vinegar, the juice from the tin of pineapple and tomato passata in a pan and whisk while bringing to a boil. Turn the heat down so the sauce is simmering then go to chop up your pineapple, pepper and white parts of the spring onion. Add this to the sauce and leave it on a low/medium heat to thicken while you wait for your cauliflower, should be around 15-20 minutes. If your wanting to make rice with this now is a good time to get it boiling. When the cauliflower comes out the oven place it in the sauce and coat it well. Sprinkle with the remaining green onion and serve.