Sami Tamimi’s Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini and Crushed Tomatoes – Salatet Zahra bil Tahinia
Golden, roasted cauliflower seasoned with spices and served over a silky tahini sauce with dollops of grated tomato.
From the book
Boustany
A vibrant and wholesome celebration of Palestinian cuisine
Meals filled with unique flavours that place vegetables centre-stage
Find creative sweet and savoury dishes that you will fall in love with
Buy From
Introduction
In Palestine, we grow one type of cauliflower: zahara baladi (heirloom cauliflower). Grown in the cooler areas of the West Bank, this Palestinian local variety is a prized vegetable. The seed is sown in the spring, and it takes almost a whole year for it to mature, relying on the rain-fed farming system. It’s a unique variety of cauliflower, yellow in colour and with a rich, creamy, slightly mustardy flavour. It is in season for only a few weeks. Versions of this dish can be found all over Palestine and other parts of the Middle East. The cauliflower is normally deep-fried and served piping hot, with a freshly chopped salad, tahini, and lots of bread to mop up all the juices. I have roasted the cauliflower here, for a slightly healthier version. It’s delicious as a side dish or as part of a spread.
Ingredients
| 2 large (260g) | tomatoes |
| salt | |
| 1 tbsp | apple cider vinegar |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil, plus more for drizzling |
| 1 large head of | cauliflower, cut into 3-4cm florets (about 1kg) |
| 1 | green chilli, thinly sliced |
| ½ tsp | ground cinnamon |
| ⅓ tsp | ground allspice |
| ½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| salt and black pepper | |
| 3g | fresh parsley, roughly chopped |
| For the tahini sauce: | |
|---|---|
| 150g | tahini paste |
| 120ml | cold water |
| 3 tbsp | lemon juice |
| 1 small | garlic clove, crushed |
| salt |
Method
First make the tahini sauce. Put the tahini paste into a small bowl, along with the water, lemon juice, garlic and ⅓ teaspoon of salt. Use a spoon or a small whisk to mix the ingredients until they are completely combined and form a thick and pourable paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more lemon juice and salt.
You’ll need 150g of the sauce for this recipe. You can store the rest in an airtight container or jar. The sauce will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line an oven tray with baking parchment.
Cut the tomatoes in half, then use a box grater to coarsely grate them, flesh side down, discarding the skin. Drain the tomato pulp for 5 minutes in a fine sieve set over a bowl – you want about 120g of grated pulp. Discard the drained liquid, place the tomato pulp in a bowl and stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt, the vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then set aside.
Put the cauliflower florets into a large mixing bowl, along with the chilli, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the spices, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well to coat, then spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared tray and roast for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden brown and a little charred. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
Spread 150g of the tahini sauce on a serving platter and arrange the cauliflower and chilli on top. Spoon the grated tomato over the cauliflower, and garnish with the chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
