Whole Baked Cauliflower With Tahini Sauce

Name: Whole Baked Cauliflower With Tahini Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: pt1h
Yield: 8-10 as a side
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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VEG

Vegan Gluten Free Sides Vegetarian

The cooking process is all in the oven and the sauce takes 5 minutes to make. Seasoned with aromatic spice, this cauliflower is naturally a vegan meal.

PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

1 hour

SERVES

8-10 as a side

About this recipe

Whole baked cauliflower with tahini sauce is a modern twist to the traditional cauliflower. The presentation of this dish is delightful, golden brown, and perfect for any occasion. This along with the baked eggplant with tangy tahini sauce will have to be the easiest recipe I’ve made.

The cooking process is all in the oven and the simple tahini sauce literally takes 5 minutes to make. Seasoned with my homemade spice, this cauliflower is full of Middle Eastern flavours and is naturally a vegan meal.

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Ingredients

Main Ingredients

1 medium whole cauliflower
7 spice blend (sprinkle)
paprika sweet (sprinkle)
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
parsley to garnish
pomegranate to garnish (optional)

Herb Salad

1 tomato chopped
1 cucumber chopped
⅓ cup parsley finely chopped
4 spring onion sprigs
3 tablespoons of mint finely chopped

Tahini Sauce

2 garlic cloves crushed
½ cup tahini – hulled
½ cup cold water (it may be less or more)
3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt to season

Notes from Rouba

Keep in mind that the quality of tahini can vary with different brands so it’s best to add the water gradually.
Hulled or Unhulled Tahini? Know the difference.
Arabian spice is my blend known in the Middle East as Bharat or 7-spice blend. You can find it at Middle Eastern grocery stores and various supermarkets. Otherwise, you can substitute with 5 spice or allspice.
Speed up the cooking process by cutting your whole cauliflower into ¼’s. This will take less time in the oven.

Method

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the stem off the bottom of cauliflower so it’s sitting flat on the tray and remove any green leaves. Sprinkle the cauliflower generously with Arabian spice and sweet paprika.

Step 2.

Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until brown and golden in colour. Depending on the size of your cauliflower, you may need to cover it with foil and cook it for a further 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Step 3.

In the meantime, begin making the tahini sauce. Place the tahini, lemon juice, and crushed garlic into a bowl. Whisk while slowly adding the water until creamy and smooth. The consistency should be creamy and pourable similar to thickened cream before whipping. You may need to add more or less water than what’s specified above. Season with salt.

Combine the salad ingredients together.

Pour the tahini sauce into a serving plate, reserving 2-3 tablespoons. Top with salad and place the cauliflower on top. Drizzle the remaining tahini sauce on top and garnish with parsley and pomegranate.