Harissa cauliflower with yoghurt and fried lentils
Toasty, roasted harissa cauliflower with a hum of spice, served over coconut yoghurt and topped with crispy fried lentils and za'atar.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 677kcal
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
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.
Nutrition information
Calories: 677kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 320IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 8mg
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