What Can I Substitute for Coconut Aminos?

I definitely prefer using coconut aminos over traditional soy sauce as I find it less salty. It is also, of course, soy free which is perfect for those who are sensitive to it. It’s just as tasty and flavorful so it’s my favorite choice! But any regular soy sauce works. I do recommend going with a low sodium option.

Can I Cook the Rice without Coconut Milk?

You can prepare and cook the rice however you like. I just think coconut milk adds a ton of flavor to plain white rice so I highly recommend it! But if you’re truly not a fan or questionable about it, you can substitute it for water or more broth.

Do I Have to Use an Instant Pot for the Coconut Rice?

I love using my Instant Pot whenever cooking rice/grains. It's so easy to just add in the ingredients, set to High Pressure, and not worry about it for the next 10-20 minutes. But you can totally also cook this regularly on a stovetop. Add in an extra 1/4 cup of liquid and cook like regular rice.

Vegan Sticky Sesame Cauliflower with Coconut Rice

Name: Vegan Sticky Sesame Cauliflower with Coconut Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Basmati Rice; 1 cup Coconut Milk; ⅓ cup Vegetable Broth; ¼ head Broccoli; ¼ cup Water; ¼ cup Coconut Aminos ((or soy sauce)); ¼ cup Sriracha Sauce ((see notes for milder sauce)); 1 tsp Rice Vinegar; 1 tsp Avocado Oil; 1 tsp Sesame Oil; 1 tbsp Coconut Sugar; 2 cloves Minced Garlic; Sprinkles of Sesame Seeds; 1 tbsp Tapioca Flour; 2 tbsp Water; ½ head Cauliflower; Chopped Raw Cashews; Fresh CIlantro; Sesame Seeds

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This sticky sesame cauliflower bowl with creamy sticky coconut rice and steamed broccoli will quickly become your new go-to flavorful meal. It takes less than an hour to make and is one of my favorite easy dinner recipes.

speckled bowl with white coconut rice topped with sticky sesame cauliflower steamed rice chopped cashews sesame seeds cilantro with chopsticks resting on top of the bowl

This meal is perfect to meal prep as it serves 4 or make for your family for dinner! I personally love leftovers and this recipe tastes just as good days after. Actually wish I could make an even larger batch…haha.

First of all, I am OBSESSED with this coconut rice recipe. If you haven’t cooked your rice in coconut milk before, then you are missing out! And then steamed broccoli is of course a simple classic. Set it to steam and forget about it while you prep the rest.

Last but not least, the star of the show, the cauliflower lathered in a sticky sesame sauce. Sauce is super easy to make and then the cauliflower just soaks in all the fabulous and spicy flavors of the sauce.

Plus, I love to make it in bulk and have leftovers for the next few days. Who doesn’t love that?!

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What Makes This Sticky Sesame Sauce So Tasty?

Some of my favorite staples and why they are vital to this sauce!

Coconut Aminos: I definitely prefer using coconut aminos over traditional soy sauce as I find it less salty. It is also, of course, soy free which is perfect for those who are sensitive to it. It’s just as tasty and flavorful so it’s my favorite choice!
Sriracha Sauce: This is a must! Oh my how much I love a spicy sauce. But it is also completely customizable. If you’re not a huge fan of spice, you can mix half the sriracha with equal parts ketchup. It also helps thicken up the sauce which is what we want!
Coconut Sugar: Another key ingredient to a thick sticky sauce is coconut sugar! I definitely prefer coconut sugar over brown sugar but either one works just as well. Sweetness adds the perfect balance to the sriracha and other bold flavors!
Sesame Seeds: It’s part of the sauce’s name so of course it’s important to this recipe! Not much else to say other than they add a good crunch and subtle nutty flavor to the dish.
Tapioca Flour: The main KEY to a thick sauce! Tapioca is a popular thickening agent and works so well in this dish. You could also sub for cornstarch which will have the same effect.

The combination of all of these ingredients makes for the tastiest sauce that compliments the cauliflower so well.

Ingredients Needed

This recipe uses simple and delicious whole-food ingredients. You may already have everything you need on hand or can easily find it at your local grocery store. Here’s a list of everything you will need:

Cauliflower
Coconut Aminos
Sriracha Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Avocado Oil
Sesame Oil
Coconut Sugar
Garlic
Sesame Seeds
Tapioca Flour
Broccoli
Basmati Rice
Coconut Milk
Vegetable Broth
Optional garnishes: Raw Cashews, Cilantro, Sesame Seeds

Substitution Options

Feel free to customize this recipe and make it your own. I like to keep this one simple with the staple ingredients. It’s a great bowl to throw in some of your favorite fresh or frozen veggies if you wanted to add more. Not a huge fan of broccoli? No problem! Eliminate and substitute with something else! Below are some substitution options, to give you a similar result.

Coconut Aminos: I prefer using Coconut Aminos as my soy sauce but any regular soy sauce works. I do recommend going with a low sodium option.
Sriracha: I do recommend using some sort of chili sauce but if you’re worried about it being too spicy, switch it for half sriracha and half ketchup.
Rice Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar would be a good alternative if you don’t have rice vinegar on hand.
Coconut Aminos: As mentioned earlier, you can sub this for brown sugar.
Tapioca Flour: If you can’t get your hands on tapioca flour, cornstarch or arrowroot flour will work just as well!
Broccoli: Swap out the broccoli for another favorite veggie of yours or eliminate completely.
Basmati Rice: If you’re not a huge fan of basmati rice or can’t get your hands on any, switch it out for another white rice!
Coconut Milk: Highly highly recommend using coconut milk for your rice but if you’re truly not a fan or questionable about it, you can substitute it for water or more broth.

Equipment and Tools

No super fancy equipment is needed for this recipe and you can totally make do with traditional equipment! You will need the following:

An Instant Pot: I cooked my Coconut Rice in this! I love using my Instant Pot whenever cooking rice/grains. It’s so easy to just add in the ingredients, set to High Pressure, and not worry about it for the next 10-20 minutes. You can also cook this regularly on a stovetop.
A Large Pan: You want a pan big enough to cook your sauce and cauliflower as well as steam your broccoli. I like using this pan because it comes with a steamer so I used it for my broccoli while I cooked everything else. Makes clean-up super easy when you only have one pan to clean!
A Steamer Basket: If using a regular pot, then you will need a steamer basket for your broccoli.
A good cutting board
A sharp, large knife
Measuring tools: 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup, 1 tbsp, 1 tsp

close up of white coconut rice topped with sticky sesame cauliflower steamed rice chopped cashews sesame seeds cilantro with chopsticks resting on top of the bowl

How To Make This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower with Coconut Rice

This meal is incredibly easy to make and can be completed start to finish in less than an hour! And this coconut rice recipe will also not disappoint. A great meal to make for a family of 4, a couple with leftovers, or one with even more leftovers! If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of leftovers…

Cook the Coconut Rice

Start off by measuring out 1 cup of basmati rice. Rinse your rice at least 2-3 times with cold water. Then add to your Instant Pot along with 1 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Give it a quick stir and then close the lid. Ensure the steam valve knob is turned to ‘Sealing’. Set your Instant Pot to ‘High Pressure’ cook for 8-10 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, hit ‘Cancel’, and then set to ‘Keep Warm’ for 5-8 minutes. Then, carefully turn the steam valve knob to ‘Venting’ either using a spatula or towel. This will slowly release any extra built-up pressure. Wait until the metal piece drops back down.

Then, carefully open the lid. Use a fork to fluff up your rice.

Steamed Broccoli

Prep all you broccoli but cutting off excess stems. For this recipe, I used about 1/4 head of broccoli. You will just have to eyeball how much you want to use as every head of broccoli will vary in size. If you have leftovers, you can always save for another recipe!

In your large pan, add in about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom and place a steamer basket on top. You can do this in a large pot as well. Then place your broccoli on top. Cover with a lid and let it cook on medium heat for roughly 8 minutes.

Remove from the pan/pot and set aside.

Sticky Sesame Sauce

For your sauce, mix together 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce), 1/4 cup Sriracha Sauce (milder sauce – 2 tbsp Ketchup + 2 tbsp Sriracha), 1 tsp Rice Vinegar, 1 tsp Avocado Oil, 1 tsp Sesame Oil, 1 tbsp Coconut Sugar, 2 cloves minced Garlic, and Sprinkles of Sesame Seeds in a small bowl.

In a separate small bowl, mix together 1 tbsp Tapioca Flour and 2 tbsp Water.

Then, in the same pan/pot used for your broccoli, add in your sesame sauce on low heat. Pour in your tapioca flour mixture and whisk together to thicken the sauce. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes so it can really thicken up.

Now, it’s ready for your cauliflower!

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Prep your cauliflower by cutting off the excess stems as well. For this recipe, I used about 1/2 a head of cauliflower. Again, try to use your best judgement on how much to use. It’s okay if you have extra sauce as you can pour it over your rice for more flavor!

Then, toss in your cauliflower into the pan with the sauce and evenly coat. Cover with a lid and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes so the cauliflower softens up just a bit.

Final Prep

Now all your different ingredients are ready to go and assemble!

In a plate or bowl, add in your coconut rice. Top with your steamed broccoli and your sticky sesame cauliflower. For garnishes, I love to add in some chopped raw cashews for extra crunch, fresh chopped cilantro, and more sesame seeds.

FAQs

What Can I Substitute for Coconut Aminos?

I definitely prefer using coconut aminos over traditional soy sauce as I find it less salty. It is also, of course, soy free which is perfect for those who are sensitive to it. It’s just as tasty and flavorful so it’s my favorite choice! But any regular soy sauce works. I do recommend going with a low sodium option.
Can I Cook the Rice without Coconut Milk?

You can prepare and cook the rice however you like. I just think coconut milk adds a ton of flavor to plain white rice so I highly recommend it! But if you’re truly not a fan or questionable about it, you can substitute it for water or more broth.
Do I Have to Use an Instant Pot for the Coconut Rice?

I love using my Instant Pot whenever cooking rice/grains. It’s so easy to just add in the ingredients, set to High Pressure, and not worry about it for the next 10-20 minutes. But you can totally also cook this regularly on a stovetop. Add in an extra 1/4 cup of liquid and cook like regular rice.
How to Store Leftovers for this Sticky Sesame Cauliflower?

A great meal to make for a family of 4, a couple with leftovers, or one with even more leftovers! If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of leftovers…
This meal stores super well! Add to a glass container as is and it’s good for up to a week.

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