Whole Roasted Cauliflower
A golden, spice-roasted whole cauliflower brushed with warm Middle Eastern spices and finished with creamy garlic tahini, crunchy almonds and chives.
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 whole cauliflower leaves trimmed and base cleaned
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp sumac
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup water for the tray/skillet
Garlic Tahini Sauce
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cold water plus extra if needed
- 1 clove garlic finely minced or finely grated
- Salt to taste
To Serve
- ⅓ cup toasted slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, paprika, cumin, turmeric, sumac, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well to form a paste.
- Place the cauliflower on a baking dish or in an oven-safe skillet. Brush the spice paste generously all over the cauliflower, getting into all the crevices.
- Pour ⅓ cup of water into the base of the tray or skillet. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 60 minutes.
- After 60 minutes, remove the foil, if the cauliflower has not browned, increase oven temperature to 200°C, and roast uncovered for a further 10–15 minutes, until deeply golden and caramelised on the outside.
- While the cauliflower roasts, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, cold water, garlic and salt. The sauce may look thin at first, let it sit for a few minute to thicken.
- If too thick, add a splash more water.
- If too thin after resting, whisk in a tiny bit more tahini.
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving platter. Drizzle over half the tahini sauce, then sprinkle with toasted almonds and chopped chives.
- To eat: Slice like a cake into wedges and serve with the remaining tahini sauce on the side.
