Fried cauliflower with parmesan wafers and tahini yoghurt

Name: Fried cauliflower with parmesan wafers and tahini yoghurt
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: Sunflower or canola oil, for deep-frying; 1 large (about 1kg) cauliflower, cut into large florets; Juice of 1 lemon; 2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds; 30 gm pine nuts, coarsely chopped; 30 gm parmesan, grated; ¼ tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle (see note); 70 gm (¼ cup) hulled tahini; 340 gm Greek-style yoghurt; 1 small garlic clove, crushed with a mortar and pestle with 1 tsp sea salt; Juice of 1 lemon

Lebanon's dish of fried cauliflower - zahra maqlia - gets a contemporary twist from chef Greg Malouf.

Jun 06, 2018 12:41am

By Greg Malouf

Serves 6
30 mins preparation
25 mins cooking plus cooling

"Parmesan crisps add intrigue to this traditional dish," says Greg Malouf.

Ingredients

Sunflower or canola oil, for deep-frying
1 large (about 1kg) cauliflower, cut into large florets
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Parmesan wafers

30 gm pine nuts, coarsely chopped
30 gm parmesan, grated
¼ tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle (see note)

Tahini yoghurt

70 gm (¼ cup) hulled tahini
340 gm Greek-style yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed with a mortar and pestle with 1 tsp sea salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1
For wafers, preheat oven to 180°C. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Line a large oven tray with baking paper and sprinkle 2 tsp mixture at a time into 7cm rounds (using an egg ring or pastry cutter if available). Bake until light golden (8-10 minutes), cool briefly on tray (5 minutes), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12. Wafers will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
2
For tahini yoghurt, whisk tahini and yoghurt in a bowl until combined. Stir in garlic mixture and lemon juice, season with salt to taste and chill until needed.
3
Heat oil to 180°C and deep-fry cauliflower in batches until golden (3-5 minutes). Drain on paper towels and douse with lemon juice.
4
Spoon tahini yoghurt onto a plate, top with cauliflower, wafers and sesame seeds, season to taste and serve.