.png)
Roast Cauliflower with Beluga Lentils and Tahini Dressing
I met a friend at the market yesterday when I was piling cauliflowers into my basket.
What are you going to do with them, she said? Roast them, I replied.
How do you do that? she said.
I nearly called the emergency services.
How had she got through life with no roast cauliflower – I can barely manage a week without it.
And in case there are others suffering from this terrible deprivation, this is how you roast a cauliflower. I will not waste time with an ingredient list (cauliflower, olive oil, salt and pepper) anymore than an ambulance stops at red lights.
It's delicious on it's own, and also very good like this.
It's a really good main course or it goes well with things like roast chicken, salmon or cod.
The recipe
- 200g Beluga lentils
- A pinch of black peppercorns
- A teaspoon each of cardamom and coriander seeds
- 1 roast cauliflower
- 2 – 3 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the dressing
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- Water – about 50 – 80ml
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Parsley – optional
- Pomegranate seeds – optional
For the cauliflower
Preheat oven to 200º / fan 180º / gas mark 6
- Take a cauliflower, cut it in half, and break or cut it into smallish florets.
- Put it into a big bowl and add a good few grindings of salt and pepper; drizzle over 3 teaspoons of olive oil.
- Mix well with your hands to make sure that the cauliflower is well coated with the oil and salt and pepper.
- Lay florets on a baking tray and roast for about 40 minutes – turning them over half way – until cauliflower is tender and golden.
For the rest
- Cook the lentils in plenty of water with the whole spices until they are just done – about 20 minutes; add salt at the end.
- Drain well, and put in a bowl to add the olive oil and more salt if necessary.
- Whisk together the tahini, yogurt, and balsamic vinegar until smooth; add water until it is the consistency of single cream; season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the lentils to a shallow dish or platter.
- Arrange the roast cauliflower on top, and drizzle the tahini dressing over it.
- Sprinkle over a handful of pomegranate seeds and some chopped parsley if you feel like it.
- Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
Serve with a green salad and perhaps some roast red peppers. .
Diva notes.
Lentils
It is very important that the lentils are small – If you can't find Beluga, use Le Puy, Castelluccio, or any other small ones you can find.
I always cook lentils with whole spices – they provide little taste bombs when you bite into them, which is very delightful.
If you are short of time, use a tin.
Yogurt
The dressing is nicest if you use rich, creamy Greek yogurt. This is not the ultra-downsizing choice – that would be fat-free yogurt. But that is currently being tried at The Hague for crimes against taste buds. A compromise would be full-fat, but not full-fat Greek.
Roasting Cauliflowers
Cauliflowers shrink when you cook them; what looks a lot on the chopping board can look a bit paltry on the serving dish, so cook more than you think you need.
Sign up for new recipes, tips, and downsizing stories.
