TAHINI ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

The combination of spices in this recipe are warm and fragrant. There are layers of flavors that keep delivering awesome tastiness! Many of these spices you already have on hand, and the ones you don’t, you need them! The whole cauliflower is a lovely centerpiece on a table, and everyone will love the nutty, lemony, crunchy, herbiness of this beautiful recipe.

Original recipe from Maikki Vasala, a Finnish food blogger who writes in English and Finnish.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized cauliflower
  • Handful of sliced & toasted almonds

SPICE BLEND

  • 1 Tbls. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbls. coriander powder
  • 1 Tbls. cumin powder
  • 1 tsp. cardamom
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1 Tbls. paprika (I used sweet Hungarian)
  • 1 tsp. turmeric

TAHINI COATING

  • 3 Tbls. tahini
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbls. spice blend (from above)
  • 1 Tbls. water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

LEMONY HERB BLEND

  • Handful of parsley, chopped
  • Handful of cilantro, chopped (optional if you’re not a fan)
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbls. lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix all the tahini coating ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Add more water if the mixture seems too thick, it should be spreadable. Taste and add more of the spice blend, if you prefer.
  3. Blend all the lemon herby topping ingredients into a smooth, pesto-like paste. This is an oil-free recipe, but if you like using a good quality oil, drizzle a little into the lemon and herb mix.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil spray a shallow oven-proof dish.
  5. Remove outer leaves from cauliflower. Trim the stem level so the cauliflower can stand upright in pan.
  6. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook cauliflower for about 7 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  7. Transfer cauliflower to your shallow baking dish. Using your hands, spread tahini mixture all over the cauliflower, rubbing it into any nooks and crannies!
  8. Roast cauliflower in the oven for 45 minutes or until a fork can slide in easily.
  9. Increase oven temperature to 450°F and continue to bake cauliflower for 5-10 more minutes, or until small brown spots start to bubble on top.
  10. Drizzle cauliflower with your lemony herb mix and garnish with sliced toasted almonds just before serving.