Persian New Year: Roasted Cauliflower and Grain Salad with Pomegranate
So for those of you who don't know, this Monday is Persian New Year and to celebrate I've been experimenting with Persian ingredients and flavour combinations this week.
This particular dish, a gorgeous warm salad, made not only a great accompaniment to some chicken, which will feature on the blog later this week, but also a brilliant packed lunch the next day. In fact, it was so delicious and so inviting that it received quite a few compliments round the table and I was asked to put the recipe up straight away - so here we are!
Persian New Year: Roasted Cauliflower and Grain salad with Pomegranate
Serves 6 as a side
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 dried piquÃn chillies, crumbled (or 3 good pinches of chilli flakes)
55ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 5 tbsp extra
2 heaped tsp sea salt flakes, plus a generous pinch
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
500g microwavable grains, such as quinoa, farro, pearl barley or brown rice
30g unsalted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
30g pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp finely chopped skin from a preserved lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
Small handful fresh mint leaves
Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Position a rack in the centre of the oven and heat to 230°C/210°C fan/ gas 8. Toast the coriander seeds in a small dry pan over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant. Grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar.
Toss the cauliflower with the garlic, chillies, 55ml of the olive oil, 1 heaped tsp of the sea salt and 2 tsp of the ground coriander in a large bowl. Spread the mixture out in a single layer in a large, heavy baking dish. Add 55ml water to the mixing bowl and swish it around to collect any stubborn spices, then pour it into the baking dish (around, not over, the cauliflower).
Cover the dish tightly with foil, then cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender with a slight bite and the water has all gone. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and fully tender but not mushy. Transfer to a plate and cool to room temperature.
While the cauliflower is cooking, heat 2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat until it smokes lightly. Add the onion and cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan often so nothing burns, or until the onion is very soft, sweet, and dark brown at the edges. Stir in the remaining 1 heaped tsp salt, then put in a large bowl.
Add the roasted cauliflower to the onion. Stir in the pistachios, pomegranate seeds, preserved lemon skin, lemon juice, remaining 3 tbsp oil, the reserved ground coriander seeds and a generous pinch or two more of sea salt to taste.
Mix the mint and parsley together on a chopping board, then coarsely chop. Cook the grains according to packet instructions (usually about 2 minutes in a microwave). Add the cooked grains and the chopped herbs to the mixing bowl, toss everything with your hands, then serve.
This particular dish, a gorgeous warm salad, made not only a great accompaniment to some chicken, which will feature on the blog later this week, but also a brilliant packed lunch the next day. In fact, it was so delicious and so inviting that it received quite a few compliments round the table and I was asked to put the recipe up straight away - so here we are!
Persian New Year: Roasted Cauliflower and Grain salad with Pomegranate
Serves 6 as a side
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 dried piquÃn chillies, crumbled (or 3 good pinches of chilli flakes)
55ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 5 tbsp extra
2 heaped tsp sea salt flakes, plus a generous pinch
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
500g microwavable grains, such as quinoa, farro, pearl barley or brown rice
30g unsalted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
30g pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp finely chopped skin from a preserved lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
Small handful fresh mint leaves
Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Position a rack in the centre of the oven and heat to 230°C/210°C fan/ gas 8. Toast the coriander seeds in a small dry pan over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant. Grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar.
Toss the cauliflower with the garlic, chillies, 55ml of the olive oil, 1 heaped tsp of the sea salt and 2 tsp of the ground coriander in a large bowl. Spread the mixture out in a single layer in a large, heavy baking dish. Add 55ml water to the mixing bowl and swish it around to collect any stubborn spices, then pour it into the baking dish (around, not over, the cauliflower).
Cover the dish tightly with foil, then cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender with a slight bite and the water has all gone. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and fully tender but not mushy. Transfer to a plate and cool to room temperature.
While the cauliflower is cooking, heat 2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat until it smokes lightly. Add the onion and cook for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan often so nothing burns, or until the onion is very soft, sweet, and dark brown at the edges. Stir in the remaining 1 heaped tsp salt, then put in a large bowl.
Add the roasted cauliflower to the onion. Stir in the pistachios, pomegranate seeds, preserved lemon skin, lemon juice, remaining 3 tbsp oil, the reserved ground coriander seeds and a generous pinch or two more of sea salt to taste.
Mix the mint and parsley together on a chopping board, then coarsely chop. Cook the grains according to packet instructions (usually about 2 minutes in a microwave). Add the cooked grains and the chopped herbs to the mixing bowl, toss everything with your hands, then serve.
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