Toasty, roasted harissa cauliflower with a hum of spice, served over yoghurt and topped with crispy fried lentils and za'atar.
I’m all about lentils, from salads to dal and everything in between. The little protein powerhouses are so versatile, and they’re of course a very budget friendly ingredient to fall back on when grocery prices are biting.
I created this recipe for the Winter 2024 edition of Nourish magazine, and wanted to try something different with lentils. Fried until crisp and tossed with za'atar they're an amazing topping for harissa roasted cauliflower, served on bed of coconut yoghurt.
This is a substantial side dish, or the basis of a light dinner. Add some flatbreads for scooping up the tasty yoghurt and pools of spicy oil, perhaps another salad alongside, and you'll be very happy. Some members of my family may have actually licked the plate clean... I'll call that a win.
Crispy fried lentils
Crispy chickpeas have made many an appearance in my kitchen, but I’d never thought to try the idea with lentils. I was in for a treat and enjoyed these fried lentils very much with a few meals while experimenting with the idea.
I use dry, green Puy-style lentils, as they’re the cheapest option and also can be cooked until just right – with a little remaining firmness so they stand up to frying. I cook the lentils to about 90 per cent done - tender, with a little bite remaining. They are then drained, spread on a clean tea towel to dry off excess moisture, then fried in a generous amount of cooking oil for about 5-6 minutes.
It's a strange process, the oil becomes quite foamy as the lentils cook. They're done with they start to smell a bit nutty, and a few lentils tested for crispness have some crunch (they crisp more once drained). The easiest way to drain them is to carefully strain through a sieve, then spread the fried lentils on paper towels to drain and cool.
Tossed with some za’atar, they become crispy, tasty, nuggety little bits of goodness that are delicious scattered over almost anything. The recipe makes more lentils that you strictly require for this recipe, but you'll find yourself wanting to add more as you're eating, guaranteed.
Any leftover crispy fried lentils can be added to a roast vegetable salad, or something similar, the next day. They will lose their crispness within a day or two, so use them up fast.
Reuse your frying oil
In New Zealand (and I imagine much of the rest of the world), the price of all kinds of cooking oil has sky rocketed over the past year.
I prefer to use grapeseed oil as my neutral frying oil, and it's price really has become a bit eye-watering (currently around $17NZD/$10.50USD per litre). With that in mind, reuse your oil!
When I'm using a generous quantity of oil for something like this, that doesn't strongly flavour the oil, I strain it through a paper towel, muslin or thin (clean) kitchen cloth sitting in a sieve over a bowl. The oil will drip through, and any sediment or solids will remain and can be discarded.
The oil won't be quite 'as good as new', but it'll be just fine to use again.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe needs to be made with Puy lentils, or French style green lentils, as they retain some firmness and will not fall apart when fried. You can't use red lentils for this recipe.
Yes, use whatever kind of plain, unsweetened yoghurt you prefer.
Of course not. If you don't like it, swap it for finely chopped parsley.
Get the recipe
INGREDIENTS
Lentils
- ½ cup dry French style lentils
- ½ cup oil neutral flavoured
Za'atar
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Cauliflower
- ½ large cauliflower about 800g, cut into florets
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2-4 tablespoon harissa paste
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- Salt
To serve
- 1 ½ cups coconut yoghurt
- Coriander (cilantro) leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Give the lentils a good rinse, then cook in plenty of boiling water for 15-20 minutes, until tender but retaining a little bite. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then spread them on a clean tea towel to dry out.½ cup dry French style lentils
- Make the za’atar by mixing all ingredients together. If you're not using flaky sea salt, reduce the salt to half a teaspoon (for table salt, which is saltier by volume). This will make more za'atar than you’ll need for this recipe – try using the leftover spice mix to season roast potatoes, or for dipping with bread and olive oil.2 tablespoon sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon sumac, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Heat ½ cup of neutral flavoured cooking oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the lentils and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils start to smell a bit nutty, and the oil is browning and foaming. Test a few lentils for crispness – keeping in mind they’ll crisp more once drained.½ cup oil
- Carefully strain the cooked lentils using a sieve, to separate them from the oil. Spread lentils on paper towels to drain and cool, then pop them into a bowl or jar and stir through 2 tablespoon of za'atar.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix olive oil, harissa and tomato paste. Harissa can vary wildly in heat, from quite mild and fragrant to blow your head off hot. If you’re not familiar with the brand you’re using, taste some first. If it’s tasty as it is and not too hot, use 4 tbsp. If it’s more spicy, cut the heat by using 2 tablespoon of harissa and 2 tablespoon of tomato paste. Toss chopped cauliflower through the harissa mix, then spread on a baking tray and season with salt.½ large cauliflower, ¼ cup olive oil, 2-4 tablespoon harissa paste, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, Salt
- Roast cauliflower for 15 minutes at 220°C fan bake (or 240°C / 430°F conventional oven), giving everything a stir part way through, until fragrant and a bit charred around the edges.
- To serve, smear a plate with yoghurt, pile up with roasted cauliflower, and sprinkle over a generous quantity of lentils (with more available on the side, you’ll want them!). Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil to make lovely pools in the yoghurt, and add some coriander to finish. Mop up the tastiness with flat breads or a hunk of sourdough.1 ½ cups coconut yoghurt, Coriander (cilantro) leaves
RECIPE NOTES
- I used store bought rose harissa paste this time, or you can make your own harissa paste.
- Nutrition information estimated, not including the majority of oil used for frying lentils.
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