This roasted cauliflower main is elegant enough to serve to friends and family yet simple enough to keep you out of the kitchen. Mostly, though, it’s really delicious. Serve it family-style in all its glory with some flatbread tucked in alongside, or, if you prefer, cut into four dramatic wedges to serve individually and pile each with a quarter of the toppings.
With the hot roasted flavours of cumin and turmeric and the delightful textures of toasted almonds and sesame seeds, there’s nothing better than a cooling and smooth accompaniment to balance the flavours.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Pickled Onions and Garlic Yogurt Sauce
This whole roasted cauliflower recipe has Mediterranean flavours and is served with garlic yogurt sauce, pickled onions and flat bread.
Ingredients
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- 2 Medjool dates pitted
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 large head cauliflower stem trimmed and leaves removed
Pickled Onions
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt divided
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic finely grated
To Serve
- flatbread
- 1 green finger chilies, serrano or jalapeno thinly sliced
- ½ cup toasted almonds coarsely chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves
Instructions
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In small bowl, soak dates in ½ cup hot water for 15 minutes; drain. Chop dates and using side of chef’s knife, work into a paste. Scrape into a bowl; stir in butter, garlic, salt, allspice, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon.
- In a large skillet, place cauliflower stem-side down; spread butter mixture overtop, covering florets. Roast until lightly charred and fork-tender, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together yogourt, garlic and the remaining ¼ tsp salt; set aside.
Pickled Onions
- In a small bowl, combine onion, lemon juice and ¼ tsp of the salt. Let stand.
To Serve
- To serve, warm flatbread. Top cauliflower with pickled onion mixture, green chilies, almonds, feta and sesame seeds.
- Arrange flatbread and cilantro around cauliflower and serve with garlicky yogourt.
