Thick cauliflower slabs roasted until charred, dusted heavily with za'atar and served over crisp chickpeas with lemon tahini. Vegan and filling.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
35 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£1.10
Difficulty
easy
Cutting the cauliflower into thick slabs rather than florets gives you more surface area against the hot tray and a completely different texture, dense in the middle and blackened at the edges. Za'atar goes on after roasting, since the sesame and dried herbs in it burn quickly.
Heat the oven to 220C fan. Cut each cauliflower vertically through the core into 3cm slabs, keeping the core intact so they hold together. Save any loose florets.
Brush the slabs on both sides with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and season with the cumin, paprika and 1 tsp of the salt.
Dry the chickpeas thoroughly and toss with 2 tbsp of the oil and the remaining salt.
Spread the cauliflower slabs on one large tray without overlapping and the chickpeas with any loose florets on a second tray.
Roast both for 30 to 35 minutes, turning the cauliflower once at 20 minutes, until the slabs are deeply browned and tender at the core and the chickpeas have crisped.
Whisk the tahini with the juice of one and a half lemons, the crushed garlic and 4 to 6 tbsp cold water until it becomes a smooth, pourable cream.
Scatter the za'atar over the hot cauliflower as soon as it comes out of the oven, so the residual heat wakes it up without scorching the sesame.
Za'atar added before roasting burns and turns acrid. Always finish with it.
Pile the chickpeas onto a platter, lay the cauliflower steaks over, drizzle with the tahini sauce and the last of the olive oil and finish with pomegranate seeds if using, parsley and the remaining lemon juice.