Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing

Cauliflower is not only delicious but is also loaded with various health benefits; still usually it’s not given the centre stage when we talk about delicious and healthy foods. As a South Asian, I grew up enjoying and appreciating Aloo Gobi, a cauliflower and potato curry which is very popular in the region and also cauliflower stuffed parathas. But I always felt we needed to incorporate cruciferous vegetables more into our diet somehow.

A few days back we dined out in a Middle Eastern restaurant and this salad was part of their lovely mezze menu. I recreated it at home and
Since then it has become a permanent new addition to our menu of salads and we really enjoy it as a side with grilled kebabs and roasts.

As with most vegetables, cauliflower also doesn’t taste nice if overcooked. Not only it gets mushy but releases odorous sulphur compounds when heated. The longer you’ll cook it, the stronger that odour shall be. It’s best to blanch, sauté or grill it briefly instead of boiling or steaming.

Tahini ( sesame seed paste) and sunflower seeds add not only toasty yumminess to the salad but also creaminess and crunch. Eggplants, pears and olives also make a great addition to this salad. With so many layers of flavours and textures, this simple sounding salad is fit to accompany any main course this holiday season.

For Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing :
1 small head cauliflower
2 apples, cored and cubed
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

This Is What You Do :

Wash and cut off the cauliflower florets. Blanch them in salted water for 3 minutes. Adding a little lemon juice to the water will help keep the florets looking fresh. Scoop them out of the boiling water and immerse immediately in a big bowl of iced water till they cool down. You can also grill or sauté them.

Add cauliflower florets, apples, and sunflower seeds to a salad bowl.

In a small bowl mix tahini, lemon juice, honey, crushed garlic, black pepper and salt.

Add a little water to make a smooth paste of pourable consistency.

Pour over the salad and toss everything to coat evenly with dressing.

Sprinkle a more sunflower seeds on top before serving.

Serves 3-4