I love to use different ingredients in my cooking. I experiment with food a lot. Sometimes is a hit: sometimes a big miss and a mess!! Coffee is one such ingredient which I am still learning about! I fee coffee is like humans we have the same ingredients but still so different to each other because of the places we grow up in ,people we meet up and things we do define us. Likewise, with coffee the taste, aroma, texture depends upon the region, soil, climatic condition, roasting styles etc. The more you work with coffee the more you get to know about it. Just like humans we cannot learn enough about coffee. I am using the Jamaica Blue Cafe Costa Rica Coffee Beans.
I wanted to pair coffee with cauliflower as the strong coffee would pair great with mild and nutty cauliflower. I roasted the cauliflower florets on a bed of coffee beans, served it on a smear of carrot hummus which is seasoned with Garam Masala and red rice and drizzled with chili oil.
This dish can be served as a starter, side and main course as well.
Let’s get started with the recipe:
Serves: 4 Duration – 1 hour
Coffee and Cauliflower
- Cauliflower - split in half , slice into 1/2 inch thick steaks , stem and leaves removed
- Coffee Beans – 1.5 – 2 cups
- Olive oil – for brushing the cauliflower
- Paprika or red chilli – to sprinkle on cauliflower (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Carrot Hummus
- Carrots – 3 , peeled and chopped
- Chickpeas boiled or you may use canned – 100 gms
- Olive oil- 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Garlic clove - 1
- Garam Masala – 1.5 tsp
- Salt as per taste
Red Rice
- Red rice – ½ cup
- Salt a pinch
Method
Coffee Roasted Cauliflower
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 Celsius. Slow roasting permits the cauliflower to be gently infused with flavor form the coffee beans.
- Brush each side of the cauliflower steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour coffee beans into a roasting pan large enough to make a shallow layer. Arrange the cauliflower steaks over the coffee beans layer.
- Roast for 50-60 minutes, until the densest can be easily pierced with a paring knife.
Carrot Hummus
- Heat olive oil in a frypan. Add carrots and fry until slightly caramelized. Remove from frypan and transfer to a food processor. Add chickpeas, garlic, garam masala, lemon and blitz to a smooth puree. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Red Rice
- Wash and soak the rice. Cook as per the instructions.
Assembly
Arrange a big dollop of carrot hummus in the plate. Add some rice and arrange cauliflower steaks over it and drizzle with chili oil. You may add a spoonful of yoghurt on the top if you want.
Happy Cooking
