Spiced Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

Spiced Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

From Stonesoup

Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend of over 20 spices so it’s got a lot going on. You’ll need to get it from your favourite spice merchant but if you prefer to keep it simple just use a 50:50 blend of ground cumin and ground coriander. Serve as a side anywhere you’d normally serve couscous or rice or see below for ideas to turn it into a whole meal.

1/2 small cauliflower
3-4 tablespoons butter
1-2 teaspoons Ras El hanout
1 bunch coriander – leaves picked (optional)
handful pinenuts (optional)

1. Whizz the cauli in your food processor until it looks like little grains of couscous.

2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add cauli and the spices and stir fry over a medium high heat until everything is warm.

3. Taste and season with lots of salt and pepper. Serve with coriander leaves and pinenuts on top (if using).

Variations

no food processor? – you could try hand cutting or grating with a box grater but it will take a while!

no ras el hanout – use a 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander OR substitute the Lebanese spice blend baharat if you have it.

more complete meal – serve with pan fried or BBQ chicken or fish. Or for a veggie meal top with poached or fried eggs or a drained can of chickpeas.

nut-free – just skip the pinenuts or replace with a little chopped red onion for crunch.

carb-lovers – replace some or all of the cauliflower with couscous or quinoa cooked according to the packet.

different herbs – mint, basil, chervil, sorrell or flat leaf parsley are all great.

more veg – soften an onion in the butter before adding the cauli. And add chopped veg to the couscous like red peppers (capsicum), carrots or halved cherry tomatoes with the herbs.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

cauliflower – ungrated cauli will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.

butter – keeps in the fridge for months.

Ras El hanout / pinenuts – keep them in the pantry.

coriander (cilantro) – freeze it in a plastic bag.