Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli with Tahini & Dukkah

Quick & easy side that is delicious and bursting with moorish flavours.

Creamy tahini goes very well with cauliflower and I love the burst of acidity from the pomegranate seeds. The dish is at its best served at room temperature making it such a winner of an entertainment dish.

I used a mixture of romanesco cauliflower (the one that looks like a crown), normal cauliflower and broccoli but you can use what you have. I think broccolini would also be stunning.

Please keep an eye on the veggies, we are looking for just tender rather than soft.

The recipe will make more dukkah than you need but honestly, its so delicious as at topping on salads, soups, hummus and as a dip for bread (after dipping in olive oil dip in the dukkah, you’ll thank me later). You can use whatever nut you have at home.

If I am mentioning ingredients or words you have never heard off, see my kitchen notes at the bottom.

Serves 6 as part of a spread

I made this with a Middle-Eastern spread of Za’atar pita breads, hummus, moussaka and a bitter leaf radicchio and naartjie salad.

• 2 heads cauliflowers or broccoli (or a mixture) cut into bite sized florets
• good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Tahini Dressing

• 50g tahini
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• about 50-70ml water
• salt

Dukkah

• 2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• good pinch flaked sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200c and line a large baking tray with baking paper (or use two trays).
2. Toast the allspice berries in a small frying pan (no oil) until fragrant and smoky, pop into a mortar & pestle and finely ground.
3. Add the vegetables to the tray, sprinkle over the cumin and the allspice, add a good drizzle of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Mix well (I find my hands work best) and roast for 20-30 minutes, tossing halfway. Please don’t overcook the veggies, leave to cool slightly.
4. Meanwhile make the dukkah, in the same small frying pan add seeds and nuts and toast until fragrant, tip into the mortar & pestle, add the salt and pound until ‘n rough looking topping forms, I like to keep mine chunky with larger pieces of nuts in it.
5. While the veggies are cooling, make the tahini dressing, Whisk together the tahini, garlic and lemon juice, whisk enough water (start with 50ml) to form the consistency that you like, season with salt and more lemon juice if needed. Consistency is a personal preference, in this case I like my tahini to be the consistency of thickish cream.
6. Once the veggies have reached room temperature, place on a platter, drizzle over the tahini and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and half of the dukkah. Enjoy!

Romanesco cauliflower goes by various names, including Romanesco broccoli, fractal broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, though it’s considered to be a hybrid between cauliflower and broccoli, it’s part of the Brassica family, just like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. Its super pretty and with its pointy crown appearance.

Dukkah is a salted seed & nut mix.

Raddichio is an Italian variety bitter leaf, normally eaten in a salad paired with strong cheese like gorgonzola but can also be grilled.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mix with thyme, sumac and sesame seeds. The sumac (berries) lends a slight ‘tang’ to the spice.