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Spiced Cauliflower, Roast Pear & Basmati & Wild Salad

This colourful rice salad recipe combines a plethora of tasty ingredients which all come together in perfect harmony. Cauliflower is roasted with saffron and cinnamon; pears are roasted in honey; kale is baked until crisp and a verdant zhoug dressing is tempered with creamy tahini. The Tilda Basmati and Wild Rice mix at the centre of this dish adds both texture and aromatic flavours. Courtesy of Anna Hansen and Great British Chefs.

  • 31 - 60 Minutes
  • Medium

Method

Ingredients

Ingredients

Toasted Saffron

  • 1 tsp saffron

Spiced Cauliflower

  • 100g of coconut oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, large, minced
  • 1 tbsp of chaat masala
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets and stalk sliced salt

Spiced Basmati & Wild Rice

  • 100g of Tilda Basmati and Wild Rice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 pinch of salt

Honey-roasted Pears

  • 4 pears, halved
  • 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp of verjuice
  • 2 tbsp of verjuice
  • 50g of honey, preferably Manuka

Zhoug

  • 25g of coriander
  • 15g of parsley
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 30ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 30ml of water
  • 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

Kale Crisps

  • 50g of kale, washed
  • olive oil
  • chaat masala
  • salt

Lemon & Tahini Cream

  • 60g of tahini
  • 75ml of water
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • salt

To serve

  • 1 handful of pomegranate seeds
  • 1 handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 handful of chopped coriander

How to make Spiced Cauliflower, Roast Pear & Basmati & Wild Salad

  1. To begin, toast the saffron strands. Place a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the saffron. Cook until gently toasted and aromatic, but do not allow to burn. Set aside a small pinch of the saffron to one side for the rice, and place the rest in a small bowl with a splash of water for the cauliflower.

  2. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the cinnamon stick, the pinch of toasted saffron, and a pinch of salt. Add the rice blend and stir. Place a lid on the pan and cook according to packet instructions.

  3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

  4. Meanwhile, prepare the roasted cauliflower. In a saucepan set over a medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the soaked saffron, (be careful as the wet saffron will make the oil spit a little) turmeric, ginger, garlic, chaat masala, fennel, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook gently until aromatic and bubbling.

  5. Coat the cauliflower well with the mixture, place in a baking tray and roast for about 8 minutes, or until caramelised all over. Reserve to one side.

  6. When the rice is ready, drain well and spread out onto a tray or plate to allow to cool.

  7. Lower the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

  8. To prepare the pears, peel away stripes of the skin for a decorative finish and scoop out the core using a spoon. Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, verjuice and honey, mix well with the pears and pour everything onto the baking tray. Bake until tender.

  9. To prepare the zhoug, simply place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse together to form a fairly smooth paste.

  10. To prepare the kale crisps, sprinkle the kale with oil, chaat masala and salt. Bake in the oven with the pears for 5–10 minutes, or until crisp.

  11. For the lemon and tahini cream, simply whisk together all of the ingredients and adjust the seasoning to taste.

  12. To serve, layer up all of the salad elements, sprinkling with coriander, pomegranate seeds and parsley as you go. Finish with the kale crisps and serve.