Cauliflower with za'atar & tahini yoghurt
A delightful meze or side dish inspired by Palestinian cuisine.
Deep fried cauliflower florets are a popular snack across much of the Levantine cuisines. They’re usually enjoyed as they are with a simple tahini sauce, but they’re also excellent with all sorts of flavourings. These days, many bake the cauliflower florets rather than fry them for a lighter, healthier and – if you ask me – even tastier version.
Here, I’ve paired it with that quintessential Middle Eastern ingredient, za’atar. A herby spice blend that’s widely used throughout Lebanon, Syria and other nearby countries, though none quite match up to the fame of Palestinian za’atar. I wrote more about za’atar earlier:
It’s important to use a relatively high heat and be generous with the olive oil when making this dish. This’ll ensure the texture is right, with beautifully caramelised edges while retaining a bite.
You may also want to add lemon juice to the yoghurt to taste, rather than follow the recipe religiously. If your yoghurt is creamy and not at all tart, you may need double the amount of lemon juice.
This dish is great as part of a table of sharing plates, but also works wonderfully with roasted or grilled fish and chicken.
Afiyet olsun!
Meze | Middle Eastern-Inspired | Serves: 4