food

Cauliflower Shawarma With Mujadara

The veggie feast you never knew you needed!

food

Cauliflower Shawarma With Mujadara

The veggie feast you never knew you needed!

Supplies

  • 1 whole cauliflower, with leaves
  • 80g tahini
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 1 -2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Sea salt flakes
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tbsp harissa
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp sumac
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • Mujadara:
  • 250ml sunflower oil
  • 4 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 250g brown lentils, cooked
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 200g basmati rice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 350ml water

Steps

  1. Trim the outer cauliflower leaves, but leave some of the smaller inner leaves on. Put the cauliflower in a large pot in enough salted water to cover it, and bring to the boil on a high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for approximately 8 minutes. Remove from the water and drain.
  2. Whilst the cauliflower is cooking, whisk the tahini, lemon juice and garlic with ½ tbsp sea salt in a large bowl. Gradually add ice-cold water. At first the tahini will form a lumpy paste, but continue to add liquid and keep whisking until it turns into a smooth, silky sauce and reaches drizzling consistency.
  3. Mix the ingredients for the spiced butter together. Brush the cauliflower liberally all over with the butter, keeping some of the butter for basting later on.
  4. Preheat oven to 220 C. Place the cauliflower in a low sided roasting tin and put into the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the cauliflower half way through so it colours all over. Throughout cooking, continue to brush with any leftover butter.
  5. Once the cauliflower is cooked through and charred, remove from the oven and transfer to a plate. Spoon over the tahini sauce and finish the dish by sprinkling the pomegranate seeds over the top.
  6. Mujadara: heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add half of the sliced onion. Fry, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the rest of the onion.
  7. Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from the heat, and add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.