Crunchy Bang Bang Satay Stir Fry

Crunchy Bang Bang Satay Stir Fry

This one is genuinely one of our favourite weeknight wins right now. Crispy roasted cauliflower, silky peanut and tahini satay sauce, and noodles with a proper crunchy kick; it's the kind of bowl that makes you wonder why you'd ever order a takeaway. The bang bang element brings this lovely heat that builds just enough to keep you going back for another forkful. We've made this more times than we can count, and it never gets old. If you need a reason to get in the kitchen tonight, this is it.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Small bowl for sauce
  • Large pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 pack of rice noodles
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 pak choi
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 red onion
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • 1 cauliflower - cut into florets
  • salt to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp brown rice miso paste
  • 1 ½ tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp creamy tahini
  • coriander leaves to serve

Method

1

Cook the cauliflower

  • Place the cauliflower florets onto a baking tray and drizzle in olive oil and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well and roast for 15 minutes
2

While the cauliflower roasts, make the sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, peanut butter, brown rice miso paste, the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt until smooth
3

Make the noodles

  • Peel and roughly slice the red onion
  • Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil
  • Once warm, add the onions and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well and leave to cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions become soft
  • Roughly slice the pak choi. Slice the peppers into thin strips and add to the pan, along with the pak choi
  • Mix well to ensure the ingredients soak up all of the flavours from the pan
  • Cook for a few minutes until all the vegetables begin to turn soft
4

Cook the noodles

  • Cook the noodles according to the instructions on pack
  • Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking together
  • Stir through the dish, along with the roasted cauliflower and add a dash of water (or plant-based milk) to create a really smooth consistency with the sauce 
5

Time to serve

  • Chop the coriander
  • Spoon the noodles on to 2 serving plates and top with some chopped coriander

Tips & Variations

  • Get the cauliflower really crispy: Make sure your florets aren't too crowded on the tray. Give them space and they'll roast beautifully. Pile them up and they'll steam instead, which isn't what we're going for here.
  • Adjust the heat: If you like things properly spicy, add an extra pinch of chilli or a drizzle of sriracha into the sauce. If you're cooking for people who aren't big on heat, dial it back a touch and serve chilli on the side.
  • Swap the noodles: We love this with rice noodles but it works brilliantly with soba or even just wholewheat spaghetti in a pinch. Trust us on that one, it sounds wrong but it's great.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the cauliflower properly so it gets those crispy, caramelised edges rather than going soft and sad. That texture contrast against the noodles is everything. And the sauce. Tahini, peanut butter and miso together is a combination we're a bit obsessed with; it adds this deep savoury richness that makes the whole thing taste like it took way longer than it did.