Spiced shawarma butter roasted cauliflower

…I went a bit OTT with the toppings here for aesthetic purposes but the tahini dressing, parsley and pomegranate seeds really bring this to life and it makes for a great dinner table centerpiece that looks impressive but is really easy.

It’s a great vehicle for a middle eastern banquet as you can serve with so many side dishes (I usually go for pilaf rice, harissa braised chickpeas, hummus or flatbreads.)

Ingredients for the shawarma spiced butter:

• 2tbsps butter (room temp)

• 1tbsp oil

• 2 minced garlic cloves

• 1tsp smoked paprika

• 1tsp allspice

• 1tsp ground coriander

• 1tsp onion powder

• salt to taste

For the tahini dressing:

• 1/4 cup tahini (the runnier the better)

• salt to taste

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1tsp sweetener (maple syrup or sugar work fine)

Toppings:

• seeds of 1 pomegranate

• fresh parsley

Method:

1. Steam a large cauliflower whole for about 8 minutes

2. Mix the shawarma spiced butter ingredients together and brush over the butter

3. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees c (fan). If you have a really large cauliflower, you might need to extend the cooking time a bit.

4. Serve on a plate, drizzle over the tahini dressing and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and parsley