Vietnamese Air Fryer Cauliflower
3-4 Servings
00:15 Prep
00:20 Cook
Easy - You got this
Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel here!
Sweet and tender cauliflower served with a creamy and umami Sriracha banh mi style mayo.
My parents are both devoted vegetarians and recently introduced me to air fryer cauliflower. This is a popular dish we would share whenever I visited, and a quick one for mum to whip up, and serve alongside braised or stir fried vegetables and freshly steamed rice. Growing up I wasn’t a fan of cauliflower, but after trying mum’s method, I’ve become quite partial to it and now make it regularly as an easy snack.
The air fryer transforms the crunchy cauliflower into a soft but firm and naturally sweet vegetable which I like to add umami to with anchovy salt and accompany with a creamy Sriracha mayo.
The addition of anchovy salt acts as a salt substitute and pairs well with the natural sweetness and slightly charred tasting notes of air fryer cauliflower.
For optimal results, separate the cauliflower florets in chunky pieces . Through the air frying process, moisture is lost and the cauliflower will soften and almost halve in size. For this recipe I used the Cuisinart Express Oven Air Fryer for best results with very little oil.
Vietnamese mayo, most commonly found in banh mi is flavourless but gives banh mi that unctuous element. In this recipe, a creamy mayo flavoured with anchovy salt and Sriracha transforms Vietnamese banh mi mayo into a decadent dipping sauce.
If cauliflower is already popular in your household, or if you want to introduce it to the rotation, do yourself a favour and give this air fryer cauliflower recipe a go with my moreish banh mi style Sriracha mayo.
Ingredients:
Air fryer auliflower
½ cauliflower washed and separated into florets
½ teaspoon Duncan Lu Anchovy Salt or sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil (grapeseed oil)
Sriracha mayo
2 free range eggs yolks
1 cup (250ml) neutral cooking oil (grapeseed oil)
½ teaspoon Duncan Lu Anchovy Salt or sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha
Method:
Air fryer cauliflower
1. Place cauliflower and all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss well until evenly coated.
Duncan’s tip: Adding sugar will help start the caramelisation process giving you a charred result.
2. Place into a pre-heated air fryer at 190C for 15 minutes, flipping or shaking basket every 5 minutes then remove.
Sriracha mayo
1. In a medium mixing bowl add egg yolks and with a whisk/hand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk eggs until foamy.
2. Slowly add a thin stream of oil (25ml) and whisk well until emulsified before adding the remaining increments.
Duncan’s tip: Add the next increment of oil only once the previous increment has emulsified. Adding the oil in small increments and whisking vigorously will ensure the mayonnaise does not curdle.
3. Once mayonnaise has formed, season with anchovy salt, sugar and mix Sriracha through
4. Serve on the side and dip cauliflower into Sriracha mayo generously.
Duncan’s tip: Serve any left over Sriracha mayo with my Vietnamese beer battered prawns or lemongrass chicken banh mi recipes.
