Whisk ½ cup cornstarch, flour, baking soda, salt, and ½ cup of the soda water in a large bowl until a thick batter forms and there are no clumps. You want the batter just a bit thinner than pancake batter. If it seems too thick, add in more soda water 1 tablespoon at a time. Toss in the cauliflower and gently mix until the cauliflower is well coated. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cornstarch over the cauliflower and continue to mix gently until the batter is sticking nicely to the cauliflower.

Heat 2 cups of oil in a deep sauté pan over medium high heat; the oil should be about 3 inches deep; add more if needed. You’ll know the oil is hot when you sprinkle in a pinch of flour, and it begins to sizzle immediately. Using tongs to tap of any excess batter, carefully place the coated cauliflower into the hot oil and fry until golden and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the fried cauliflower to a baking tray lined with paper towels or a wire rack. Note: I like to double-fry my cauliflower, so at this point, I’d keep the oil in the pan and turn the heat back on just as the sauce starts to simmer in the next step.

To prepare the sauce, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large wok or sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the Thai chilies and the white and light green parts of the green onion and stir fry for 1 minute. Next, add the garlic and ginger, and stir fry another 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the broth, sugar, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, cornstarch slurry, and red chili flakes, mixing to combine. Bring the sauce to a light boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and reduces a bit, 10 to 12 minutes.

Optional: At this point, while the sauce is simmering, you can do a double-fry on the cauliflower. To do so, heat the oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot, working in batches, add the fried cauliflower pieces back into the oil and fry until crispy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place the double-fried cauliflower back onto a paper-towel lined plate or wire rack and continue to with the remaining cauliflower.

Once the sauce has slightly reduced and is thick enough to coat a spoon, add the fried cauliflower and toss gently until each piece is well coated in the sauce. Serve immediately and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onion. Enjoy!