Whole Cauliflower Katsu — a plant-based Other recipe by BOSH!
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Whole Cauliflower Katsu

This one absolutely blew us away the first time we made it. A whole cauliflower, golden and crispy on the outside, tender all the way through, drenched in a rich, fragrant katsu sauce. It looks seriously impressive on the table and tastes even better than it looks. If you want a plant-based dinner that genuinely stops people in their tracks, this is the one to make tonight.

Cook: 90 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large baking dish
  • Large pot
  • Colander
  • Blender or food processor
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 30g ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • ½ tbsp garam masala
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 lime
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 30g plant-based butter
  • olive oil
  • flakey salt
  • 1 red onion
  • ¼ head white cabbage
  • handful of coriander
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • flakey salt
  • basmati rice
  • chapati or flatbread

Method

1

For the cauliflower

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
  • Lower the cauliflower, head side down, into the water.
  • Boil for 6-8 minutes, until soft, the time will vary depending on the size of your cauliflower.
  • Once soft, drain the cauliflower into a colander for 10 minutes, keeping it head side down, this is important so that the steam escapes from the cauliflower.
  • Then transfer the cauliflower to a baking dish.
  • Melt the butter and pour over the cauliflower, along with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a big pinch of flakey salt.
  • Place in the oven for 50- 60 minutes until golden brown on the outside, and soft on the inside.
2

For the pickles and herb salad

  • Finely slice the red onion and run it under boiling water, then add to a bowl with the vinegar, set to one side.
  • Finely slice the cabbage and place in a separate bowl with a pinch of sea salt and massage for a few moments to soften.
  • Chop the coriander, add to the cabbage.
  • Set to one side.
3

Make the katsu sauce

  • Finely chop the onion and carrots.
  • Peel and grate the ginger and garlic.
  • Cut the lime.
  • Prepare the veg stock.
  • Heat some oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the onions, carrots, and a big pinch of table salt, fry for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the ginger and garlic, fry for 2 minutes.
  • Next add the curry powder and garam masala, fry to release the aromas.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few moments, then whizz up with some of the veg stock.
  • Once smooth, pour back into the pan with the remaining veg stock, add the soy sauce, maple syrup and a big squeeze of lime juice.
  • Keep warm until ready to serve.
4

Serve

  • Drain the vinegar from the red onion and add to the cabbage/coriander.
  • Transfer the cauliflower to a big serving dish, pour over the katsu sauce and top with the cabbage.

Tips & Variations

  • Size matters: Pick a medium cauliflower if you can. A really large one will take longer to cook through and you risk the coating burning before the middle is tender. Medium is the sweet spot every time.
  • Make the sauce ahead: The katsu sauce actually gets better as it sits, so we often make it the day before. Just reheat gently and add a splash of water if it thickens up too much.
  • Serve it right: We love this sliced into thick steaks at the table so everyone can see the inside. Pile it over steamed rice with a good drizzle of sauce and some pickled veg on the side and you have a proper showstopper meal.

Why This Works

The trick is boiling the cauliflower first and then letting it drain head-side down so all that steam escapes properly. Skip that step and you end up with a soggy coating, and nobody wants that. Once it's dried out and coated, the oven does the hard work and gives you that gorgeous, crunchy crust that makes katsu so satisfying.