These delicious recipes are from ‘Imad’s Syrian Kitchen‘ by Imad Alarnab.
Serves 4
Cauliflower, Red Onions & Red Peppers
Ingredients
For the marinade
5 garlic cloves, grated
pinch of salt & black pepper
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp harissa paste
100ml olive oil
For the vegetables
1 cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 romano peppers, roughly chopped
2 red onions, roughly chopped
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp dried/fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
For the tahini sauce
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt
juice of ½ lemon
100g tahini
100ml of chilled water
Method
– Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C with a fan.
– Mix the ingredients for cauliflower marinade together in a bowl. Remove ¼ of the marinade, place in another bowl, and set aside.
– Place the cauliflower in the larger portion of the marinade. Mix well.
– Line a shallow baking tray with parchment. Add the cauliflower to the tray and spread out. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
– Place the peppers, red onions, remaining marinade, sumac, and thyme leaves in a large bowl. Mix well.
– Remove the tray of cauliflower from the onion. Add the rest of the vegetables, toss, and place it back in the oven for 25 minutes.
– Mix all the ingredients (except the water) for the tahini sauce in a small bowl. Continue to mix whilst you add the water a little at a time.
– Place the cauliflower on a serving plate and drizzle over the tahini sauce along with a sprinkle of ground cumin and some fresh coriander.
Green Beans & Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
400g green beans, remove tops and tails
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
oil of choice
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp red pepper sauce (I used harissa paste)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
pinch of salt
400g chopped tomatoes
Method
– Bring a shallow pan of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt along with the green beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes then drain them and set aside.
– Place the same pan on the hob and add 2-3 tbsp of oil once hot.
– Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle before you add the garlic and chilli. Cook for 1 minute.
– Add the tomato purée, red pepper sauce, cumin, black pepper, salt, and chopped tomatoes. Mix well, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
– Add the green beans. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
– Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle over the tahini sauce from the cauliflower recipe.