Gluten-Free-Friendly Tempura Cauliflower Rice Bowls
with Firecracker Sauce & Quick Pickles
- Sesame
- Eggs
Crispy rice flour–coated cauliflower florets are shallow-fried until golden and crunchy, then served over fluffy rice with tangy quick-pickled cucumber rounds. The sweet heat of firecracker sauce, infused with apricot jam and Sriracha, brings everything together with a glossy drizzle, while fresh cilantro and sesame seeds add the perfect finishing touches to these gluten-free-friendly comfort bowls.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon
Fry Seasoning
5 teaspoon
Rice Wine Vinegar
1 unit
Apricot Jam
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
1 tablespoon
Sesame Seeds
(Contains: Sesame)
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
½ cup
Rice Flour
10 ounce
Cauliflower Florets
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 teaspoon
Sriracha
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
¼ ounce
Cilantro
Not included in your delivery
4 teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
-
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
-
While rice cooks, wash and dry produce.
-
Trim and thinly slice cucumber into rounds. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces if necessary. Finely chop cilantro.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine cucumber, vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt (2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt for 4 servings). Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
- In a separate small bowl, combine mayonnaise, jam, Sriracha, garlic powder, ½ tsp water (1 tsp for 4), a pinch of salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, Fry Seasoning, ½ cup water, ½ tsp salt, and pepper until smooth (1 cup water and 1 tsp salt for 4 servings). TIP: If mixture seems too thick, add more water 1 TBSP at a time until it reaches a pancake-batter-like consistency.
- Stir in cauliflower until fully coated.
- Heat a ⅓-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably heavy-bottomed, pan over medium-high heat.
- Once oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, add coated cauliflower in a single layer (you may need to work in batches). Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5-8 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with salt and pepper.
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Fluff rice with a fork.
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Divide rice between shallow bowls; top with tempura cauliflower and pickles (draining first). Drizzle with as much firecracker sauce as you like. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds; serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The firecracker sauce was a highlight — sweet, spicy, and delicious; the rice was found plain by some, and a few felt the overall dish needed more vegetables.
- Ease of prep: The frying step was the trickiest part — multiple reviewers found it time-consuming and messy, and some struggled to get the batter to stick properly.
- Suggestions: Try air-frying the cauliflower as an alternative to pan-frying for less mess; if the batter seems too runny, add rice flour a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a pancake-batter consistency.
- Portions: Several reviewers felt the cauliflower and cucumber portions were too small — doubling both would make the bowls more satisfying.
