Disco cauliflower and bhajis: Maray’s cauliflower recipes

Cauliflower is a flavour sponge, but miraculously stays satisfyingly al dente. Smother it in chermoula, tahini and harissa, or transform it into spicy bhajis served with a lively chutney

Cauliflower is a culinary gem. Often overlooked, it possesses a remarkable ability to absorb complex seasonings and textures while maintaining a satisfying bite. It’s also perfect for braising, frying or roasting, and provides a canvas for bold, herbaceous and spicy flavour profiles that elevate an ostensibly simple brassica into a true centrepiece.

The quantities for the green sauce will make more than you need to dress the cauliflower, but it keeps very well in a jar or sealed container in the fridge for up to a week and is delicious on all sorts, so it’s well worth making extra.

3 tbsp sea salt 2 tsp ground turmeric 1 large cauliflower (about 1.2kg), leaves trimmed, then cut in half from top to root (900g net) 3 tbsp vegetable oil

For the tahini sauce 3 tbsp tahini paste 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the green sauce 100g fresh coriander , including stalks 100g fresh parsley, including stalks, plus a little extra to finish 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped 2 medium red chillies , stalks removed and roughly chopped 50g lemon juice 10g fine table salt 180ml rapeseed oil For the honey dressing 2 tbsp harissa paste 1 tsp honey 1 tsp white-wine vinegar To finish 100g natural yoghurt Pomegranate seeds and flaked almonds 1 tsp paprika

Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then stir in two tablespoons of the salt and a teaspoon of the turmeric. Drop in the cauliflower halves, simmer for about 10 minutes, until just tender, then drain and leave in the colander for 10 minutes to steam-dry and to drain off all the excess water.

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil with the remaining salt and turmeric, then rub this all over the cauliflower. Put the blanched cauliflower halves cut side down on an oven tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway, until charred at the edges.

While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the three sauce toppings. In a small bowl, mix the tahini and lemon juice with a tablespoon of water and set aside.

For the green sauce, put the coriander and parsley in a food processor, blitz for a few seconds, then add the garlic, chilli, lemon and salt, and blitz again briefly, so the mix still has some texture. Slowly work in the rapeseed oil, until nicely emulsified.

Finally, in another small bowl, loosen the harissa with the honey and wine vinegar.

When the cauliflower is ready, transfer it to a large platter. Spoon the yoghurt evenly over the top, followed by drizzles of the tahini, green and harissa sauces. Scatter generously with pomegranate seeds, flaked almonds and chopped parsley, finish with a dusting of paprika and serve hot.

Salt 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 small cauliflower (about 500g), leaves trimmed 500g white onion , peeled and finely sliced Rapeseed oil 125g frozen garden peas 65g desiccated coconut 20g black onion seeds 20g white sesame seeds 1 tsp chilli flakes 2 tsp garam masala 60g cornflour 65g gram flour 1 tsp lemon juice 50 ml sparkling water

Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then stir in two tablespoons of salt and the turmeric. Drop in the whole cauliflower and simmer for about eight minutes, until the cauliflower is cooked but retains a little bite. Drain, leave to cool, then grate the cooked cauliflower on the large holes of a box grater to shred it.

Meanwhile, in a pan on a medium heat, saute the sliced onions in two tablespoons of rapeseed oil for six or seven minutes, until just soft. In a large bowl, mix the grated cauliflower, sauteed onions, peas, coconut, seeds, spices, flours, lemon juice and a teaspoon and a half of salt, then slowly whisk in the sparkling water until you have a loose batter that is thick enough to retain its shape when frying. The mixture should feel light, not dense.

Pour enough rapeseed oil into a heavy-bottomed pan to come 2½cm up the sides and put on a. medium-high heat. When it’s up to frying temperature, check the seasoning of the bhaji mix by frying a small blob of the batter until golden brown and crisp, then taste and adjust the bhaji mix as required. Working in batches, scoop large dessertspoonfuls of the bhaji mixture into the hot oil and fry for two minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven while you repeat with the remaining batter. Season with more salt to taste, and serve hot with some of the chutney below.

A vibrant, tangy and fresh condiment that’s a great accompaniment to the bhajis.

Prep 10 min Cook 25 min Serves Makes 1 big jar

125g banana shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds 25ml rapeseed oil 25g red lentils 3 garlic cloves , peeled and finely chopped 10g grated fresh ginger 30g desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry frying pan until golden 10g salt (about 1⅔ tsp) 25g sugar 35ml white-wine vinegar 10g tomato puree 100g plum tomatoes, cut into chunky dice

To finish 50ml rapeseed oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 10 fresh curry leaves, or 2 tbsp dried curry leaves, but fresh are by far best 1 pinch chilli flakes, or to taste

Over a medium heat, fry the shallots and cumin seeds in the rapeseed oil for 10-15 minutes, until golden, then stir in the lentils, garlic and ginger, and fry, stirring, for another minute. Add 25g of the toasted coconut (save the rest to garnish) and the remaining chutney ingredients, then pour in 75ml water and bring to a simmer. Leave to cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft and the mix has reduced and thickened. Tip the chutney into a blender and blitz to a smooth puree.

To finish the chutney, heat the rapeseed oil in a small saucepan, then add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, and cook for about 20 seconds, until they start to pop. Take off the heat, tip the seeds, leaves and oil into the pureed chutney, then fold in thoroughly.

Spread the chutney on a platter, top with the cooked bhajis above, scatter over the reserved toasted coconut and some chilli flakes, and serve.

James Bates is co-founder of Maray in Liverpool