Harissa Roast Cauliflower with Smashed Chickpeas
Serves: 2 people
Takes: 15 mins - 30 mins
Harissa is a fabulous red chilli paste with roots from Tunisia, but it is widely used in the Middle East and beyond. It tastes great rubbed and roasted with veggies, and you can stir through some yogurt to tone down the heat.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons veggie oil, I like rapeseed oil
2 tablespoons harissa
1 cauliflower, leaves removed and cauli cut lengthways into 1 inch slices (steaks)
200g cooked chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon tahini
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, roughly chopped
small handful watercress
sea salt, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and lightly grease a baking sheet with a little veggie oil.
Mix 1 tablespoon of veggie oil with the harissa and rub the marinade all over the cauliflower steaks.
Lay them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until soft and cooked through.
Make the Smashed Chickpeas by popping most of the chickpeas in a blender. Add the tahini, half the garlic, a good squeeze of lemon, the remaining veggie oil and a good pinch of salt. Whizz all the ingredients together until smooth, adding a little water a teaspoon at a time if it needs it. It should be thick.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon if required before setting aside.
In another bowl mix together the remaining chickpeas, remaining garlic, olive oil, fresh coriander and mint, a good pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice.
Dress the watercress by squeezing over a little lemon and season with salt.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, transfer the Smashed Chickpeas to a plate, lay the Harissa Cauliflower on top, sprinkle over the herby chickpeas and pile on the dressed watercress.
My Tip: Don’t waste those delicious cauliflower leaves you removed earlier. Simply drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes in the preheated oven until softened and the leaves are crisping.
