Cauliflower salad with amba and tahini

Salad Side

Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side

Prep 40 min

Cook 30 min

The classic (in my mind) combo of amba and tahini drizzled over almost anything is one I cannot quite resist. It pairs so well with almost anything, from the classic sabich (egg and aubergine pitta with pickles), to schnitzel, to shawarma. Here we’ve opted for hard roasted cauliflower, one of my favourites.

The amba recipe will yield more than you need for this salad, however it will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and is delicious spooned over fried eggs, most salads, or as a condiment alongside curries. You can also assemble the salad ahead of time as it holds up well, even after being left for a few hours out of the fridge. I like to assemble and serve this salad straight on the parchment lined baking tray that I roast the cauliflower on. It saves washing up, and looks great, splattered all over with the tahini and amba.

Ingredients

FOR THE AMBA
1 tsp	amchur (mango powder)
1 tsp	mustard powder
1	black lime, ground fine in a spice grinder
1 tsp	ground turmeric
3 tsp	ground fenugreek
75ml	olive oil
400g	mango pulp (from a tin)
FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE
75g	tahini
1	garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 ½ tsp	lemon juice
FOR THE SALADS
1	cauliflower, broken down into large florets (650g)
4 tbsp	olive oil
3 tsp	ground cumin
1	small jar chickpeas, drained (250g)
100g	couscous, cooked according to package instructions
½	red onion, 1cm dice (75g)
20g	parsley, roughly chopped, plus 5g for serving
2 tbsp	lemon juice
	fine sea salt and black pepper

Method

Start by making the amba. Add the spices and ½ teaspoon salt to the oil in a medium saucepan. Set on medium heat and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and frothing. Pour in the mango pulp slowly, whisking continuously, until completely emulsified. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
To make the tahini sauce, place all the ingredients into a bowl along with ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in 60 millilitres cold water until well incorporated and smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 230C fan.
Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt, then spread on a parchment lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
When ready to assemble the salad, combine the cooled cauliflower and the rest of the salad ingredients, adding ¼ teaspoon salt, a good grind of black pepper, and the remaining olive oil and cumin. Place on a serving platter, then drizzle over a few spoons of the tahini sauce, followed by a few spoons of the amba. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve at room temperature, alongside the remaining tahini sauce and amba for extra drizzling.