I truly can’t put into words how good this dish is. I knew it would be pretty good— I mean, I love all of the ingredients within it— but it kind of blew my mind how good everything tasted together.
This dish looks beautiful and fancy, but it’s extremely simple to whip up. Feel free to eat as a main, or feature as a side dish (would be the perfect accompaniment to a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spread. )
** Make-Ahead Tip
To make this dish even easier to come together, you can make some of the components ahead of time:
toasted pepitas (you can have these toasted and ready to go, they’ll be good stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a long time)
pickled shallots (these actually need at least a day to get pickling + full of flavor, so I highly recommend pickling your shallots the day/night before you plan on making this)
INGREDIENTS:
for the cauliflower
1 large head of cauliflower (or 2 small heads)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
serve with:
1 large or 2 small oranges, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup raisins, regular or golden (soak in water for a few minutes to plump them up)
10-15 castelvetrano olives, smashed and roughly chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted pepitas (recipe below)
2 to 3 tablespoons pickled shallots, (recipe below)
thinly sliced chilis (optional)
finely chopped parsley (optional)
extra salt and pepper, as needed
Quick Pickled Shallots:
10 large shallots, peeled and sliced very thinly
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar (you can use distilled white vinegar, but I find these are a bit more mild/pleasant)
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Directions:
Add the thinly sliced shallots to a bowl and cover with water and vinegar. Stir in sea salt and sugar. Make sure the shallots are fully covered by liquid (if they’re not, add enough water to cover). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Toasted Pepitas
To make toasted pepitas, I simply dry toast them in a pan over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Monitor them the whole time, shaking the pan and moving them around to evenly toast. They should be slightly browned and fragrant.
Crispy Turmeric Cauliflower
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Wash and cut cauliflower into small florets and add to a parchment lined baking sheet. Toss the florets with spices and oil, then spread them out on the pan. Make sure the pan isn’t crowded, as this will cause steaming and prevent the cauliflower from getting nicely roasted and crispy on the outside.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway if you’d like even browning (not necessary). You’ll know it’s finished when it looks lightly charred and crispy.
Add to a large serving dish and arrange with orange slices, olives, raisins, pickled shallots, toasted pepitas and sliced chilis or chili flakes.