afoona
Whole Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
vegetables

Whole Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

A whole cauliflower baked in the oven with Middle Eastern spices and tahini sauce — a simple vegetable that becomes the star of the table

⏱ 1 hr 15 min🍽 4 servings 🌍 Israeli👩‍🍳 Afoona🧩 2 parts

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

  1. 1
    Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
    ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven
    💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
  2. 2
    Place the whole cauliflower in a baking pan and brush it all over with the olive oil mixed with the garlic, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
    Baking panPastry brush
  3. 3
    Roast 50–60 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender inside and browned outside.
    OvenBaking pan
    💡A hot oven and room in the pan: crowded cauliflower steams instead of browning, and the sweet, toasty flavor never comes.
  4. 4
    Test with a skewer: the cauliflower is done when the skewer goes in easily to the core.
    Skewers
  5. 5
    Mix the tahini and lemon juice.
  6. 6
    Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.
    💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.
  7. 7
    Spread the tahini sauce on a plate and set the whole cauliflower on top.
  8. 8
    Sprinkle the cilantro on top.
247calories
6 gprotein
7 gcarbs
21 gfat
● protein 10%● carbs 12%● fat 78%

Per serving (196 g), of 4 servings

To assemble ·

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⚖ About the ingredients

🔧 Tools needed (4) · 🍳 One cooking vessel

  • Oven · 💡 Workaround, changes the dish: Toaster oven (Fits one small pan; good for small batches) · Air fryer (Small batches only, no runny batters) · Pot (Only for covered stews on the stovetop, no browning on top)
  • Baking pan · Also works: Glass / ovenproof baking dish (None) · Disposable pan (None)
  • Pastry brush · Also works: Spoon / teaspoon (regular) (Spread with the back of a spoon, less even) · Paper towels (Paper towel dipped in oil)
  • Skewers · Also works: Grill basket (Grill basket) · Toothpick (For small bites)

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