Cauliflower Shawarma Recipes

CAULIFLOWER "SHAWARMA"

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Crack the dried chili open and shake out the seeds. Place the deseeded chili on a baking tray with the coriander and cumin seeds and roast for six minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool entirely on the tray. Crumble the chili between your fingers then grind all the roasted spices to a powder. Mix with dried ground spices and store in an airtight container.
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Place the whole cauliflower, leaves and all, in an ovenproof saucepan that fits it snugly. Fill the bottom of the pan with enough water to just cover the stem and leaves. Drizzle the oil all over the florets and sprinkle with the spice mix and sea salt-it will look like a lot, but you want a layer of spice as a crust. Place in the oven and roast for 1-1 1/2 hours. You will know it is cooked when you can insert a small knife through the center of the cauliflower all the way down into the stem and it goes in easily.
• While the cauliflower is cooking, place the sliced onions in a frying pan with the oil and salt and fry on a low heat until they start to soften and go golden. Add the sugar and continue cooking until the onions are caramelized and brown. Remove from the heat.
• Halve the lemon. Mix the tahini paste in a small bowl with the juice from one half of the lemon and the salt. Add 100ml of water (a little less than half a cup) and mix well. Continue mixing and adding water very slowly until the paste loosens to a creamy texture.
• Carefully lift the cooked cauliflower out of the water and cut it into thick slices, including the stem and the leaves, which will taste great after the slow-cooking.
• Divide the cauliflower between two plates. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half of the lemon all over, then top with the caramelized onions and tahini paste. Garnish with the pine nuts and the sumac (if using) and serve with the crispy flat bread.

CAULIFLOWER SHAWARMA WITH SPICY TAHINI

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare the cauliflower: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, coriander, turmeric, black pepper and cayenne. Add cauliflower and onion, and toss until well coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast vegetables on the top oven rack until they are golden brown, slightly crisp and tender, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. If the vegetables look dry as they roast, drizzle with a little more olive oil.
• As they cook, prepare the tahini sauce: Whisk together lemon juice, 1 teaspoon harissa, garlic and salt in a small bowl, and let sit for a minute or two to mellow the garlic. Whisk in tahini. Whisk in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. You may not need all of the water or you may need to add a little more: Tahini brands vary a lot. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more harissa, lemon juice and salt if you like. The sauce should taste zippy and creamy.
• Warm the pitas or flatbread by placing them directly on the bottom oven rack during the last 5 minutes as the vegetables roast. (Or you can warm the bread on another baking pan if that's easier for you.)
• Scatter parsley on top of the roasted vegetables and serve with warm pitas, tahini sauce, chopped tomato, cucumber and olives.