Zingy Braised Whole Cauliflower, Hummus and Pistachio Dukkah

I’ve made this whole braised cauliflower and placed on top of silky smooth hummus a billion times it feels like and I’m still not tired of it. I’ve topped it with various seed and spice mixes but this one that I present to you here today must be my favourite. The pistachio dukkah gives this otherwise rather humble dish a little touch of luxury and the lemon zest brings a little bit of a zing that lifts the gentle flavours of the cauliflower and hummus.

While on the topic of the dukkah feel free to swap the pistachios for other types of nuts though if you prefer. It tastes fantastic with walnuts for example or why not use a mix for a more complex flavour.

Serve this dish as a centre piece with other salads and dips like this shaved asparagus salad and this Levantine bell pepper dip muhammara as well as bread and you’ve got a feast for dinner any day of the week.

Malin x

Braised Whole Cauliflower, Hummus and Pistachio Dukkah

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

30 g vegan butter

0,4 cup vegetable stock

1 medium sized cauliflower

Salt and black pepper, to taste

0,5 lemon

For the dukkah:

0,5 cup raw and shelled pistachios

1,5 tbsp sesame seeds

0,5 tbsp cumin seeds

0,5 tbsp coriander seeds

0,5 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp flaked sea salt

Serve with:

2 cups of hummus

METHOD:

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, keep them in the fridge to use them in a different recipe, and cut off the protruding stem of the cauliflower so that it can sit flat on the cutting board.

Find a suitable pot for the size of the cauliflower. It should be big enough to fit it in whole and high enough that you can seal it with the lid but not have too much room on the sides of the cauliflower, a couple of centimetres is enough.

Slice the vegan butter finely and place it at the bottom of pot in a single layer. Place the whole cauliflower, cut stem side down, onto the butter. Pour over the vegetable stock and season with salt and black pepper. Seal with the lid.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium or medium low depending on your cooker. You want the liquid to keep simmering and creating steam in the pot to cook the cauliflower as well as brown the bottom. Cook for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the cauliflower, shorter if it’s a small sized cauliflower. Check on it once in a while and skewer it in the centre to check if it’s done. It should be pierced easily when it is. Also check that there is always liquid left in the pan. If you find that the liquid evaporates before the centre of the cauliflower is soft simply add a splash of extra vegetable stock.

While the cauliflower is cooking prepare the dukkah. Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Once hot toast the pistachios in it for a few minutes, tossing often. You want their colour to deepen slightly and when they give off their nutty fragrance they are done. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Return the dry frying pan to the heat and toast the sesame seeds as well as the whole spices in it, tossing often. This will only take a couple of minutes. They are done when they are fragrant, slightly golden and/or making popping noises. Transfer to a small plate to cool off as well.

Once the nuts and spices are more or less room temperature pour them into the bowl of a food processor with an s-blade. Add the flakes sea salt and pulse until you reach a crumbly sprinkle like consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Use a microplane or a box grater to grate the zest of the lemon. Set aside.

Start preparing to serve by soreading the hummus on a large flat plate. I like to create a large round with some ridges using the back of a spoon.

When the cauliflower is cooked place it in the centre of the plate on top of the hummus. Drizzle over the remaining liquid from the pot as it holds a lot of flavour.

Finally sprinkle with the pistachio dukkah and lemon zest. I like to also serve the remaining dukkah on the side so that each person can add more to their plate if the would like.

Serve as a centre piece in a mezze spread or simply eat with bread and maybe a green salad.