This obviously isn't really a shawarma—there is no lamb and no fat—but it is a way of slow-cooking cauliflower that makes it feel substantial and tasty enough to warrant the association.
Ingredients
Serves 2
For the spice mix:
For the carmelized onions:
For the tahini dressing:
For the garnish:
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Crack the dried chili open and shake out the seeds. Place the deseeded chili on a baking tray with the coriander and cumin seeds and roast for six minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool entirely on the tray. Crumble the chili between your fingers then grind all the roasted spices to a powder. Mix with dried ground spices and store in an airtight container.
Step 2
Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Place the whole cauliflower, leaves and all, in an ovenproof saucepan that fits it snugly. Fill the bottom of the pan with enough water to just cover the stem and leaves. Drizzle the oil all over the florets and sprinkle with the spice mix and sea salt—it will look like a lot, but you want a layer of spice as a crust. Place in the oven and roast for 1–1 1/2 hours. You will know it is cooked when you can insert a small knife through the center of the cauliflower all the way down into the stem and it goes in easily.
Step 3
While the cauliflower is cooking, place the sliced onions in a frying pan with the oil and salt and fry on a low heat until they start to soften and go golden. Add the sugar and continue cooking until the onions are caramelized and brown. Remove from the heat.
Step 4
一半的柠檬。把芝麻酱糊在一个小bowl with the juice from one half of the lemon and the salt. Add 100ml of water (a little less than half a cup) and mix well. Continue mixing and adding water very slowly until the paste loosens to a creamy texture.
Step 5
Carefully lift the cooked cauliflower out of the water and cut it into thick slices, including the stem and the leaves, which will taste great after the slow-cooking.
Step 6
Divide the cauliflower between two plates. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half of the lemon all over, then top with the caramelized onions and tahini paste. Garnish with the pine nuts and the sumac (if using) and serve with the crispy flat bread.
Leave a Review
Reviews (18)
Back to Topi’m sorry that the recipe doesn’t specify what type of “dried chile”. my pantry holds many different dried chilies and i would guess it makes a difference which i choose. also, it took a lot longer than 1.5 hrs to bake. i think next time i’d bake it covered for the first half, then uncovered to get the “crust”. the flavors are good.
ellenfoto
NYC
12/2/2019
I made this recipe but the whole spice crust layer became burnt D: What am I doing wrong? How can I prevent the spices from getting burnt??
lmy
hk
2/19/2018
So what dried chili have folks used for the spice mix? What did you like/not like about what you used? The recipe doesn't specify the chili and there are so many varieties (and so many sizes too) so what you use could really influence the flavor. . . ps haven't made it yet - but is looks fabulous!
skeenan44079
7/28/2017
I liked this a lot, especially the tahini sauce. Making the spice mix was a bit of a pain, but there's enough to make this recipe a few times.
Anonymous
Yellowknife, NWT
3/5/2016
Spice Professor sells a Shawarma mix, for a short cut to compiling those spices. Have not tried yet, but sounds wonderful.
jessicablacketter
Milford, CT
12/6/2015
This was too funny a dialogue not to chime in. I actually MADE this! It was good and easy to make. I didn't make the tahini dressing, but it would have complemented the dish nicely. I made the (now famous) spice mix in a bowl that was a little larger than my cauliflower head and 'rolled' the oiled head in the spice mix. I had to go out, so I used the automatic shut-off feature of my oven. I threw it in @ preheated 400 degrees and had it shut off after 1 hr. I wound up taking it out of the oven after around 2 hrs. It looked just like the photo. You could easily vary the spices to your liking.
sheilalikescooking
New York State
11/6/2015
How can you miss FOR THE SPICE MIX?
patp202
9/26/2015
This is the funniest shit I have ever read!!!! I wish I knew how it tasted.
weepylisa
ny
9/26/2015
Okay, now that you've all helped the person who didn't carefully read the recipe, how was it?
cecile87
Los Angeles
9/13/2015
There is no premade spice mix! Just follow the recipe which includes directions for making YOUR OWN spice mix.
jdordup
8/21/2015
As listed- For the spice mix: 1 dried chili 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp plus 1 3/4 tsp cumin seeds 2 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1 1/4 tsp white pepper 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
d_hops
SC
6/12/2015
It spells it out in the recipe--- ingredients section: "3 generous tbsp spice mix (see below) For the spice mix: 1 dried chili 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp plus 1 3/4 tsp cumin seeds 2 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1 1/4 tsp white pepper 1/2 tsp ground turmeric"
kikinder
6/12/2015
这是上市混合香料:混合香料:1干chili 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp plus 1 3/4 tsp cumin seeds 2 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1 1/4 tsp white pepper 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Fanda1a
Florida
6/12/2015
Seriously? What spice mix? Did you miss the spice mix listed under "spice mix" in the recipe?
bierut58
NJ
6/12/2015
FER GOODNESS SAKE ANSWER US, WHAT FREAKIN' SPICE MIX?????!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
devora1
Confused, USA
5/30/2015
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