Shawarma is pretty popular in middle eastern countries, as well as on the streets of New York. If you’ve had a shawarma, you know it’s delicious, but it is meaty. This is why my oldest brother, Creighton loves it so much. It’s also why he’ll be rolling his eyes in disgust when he realizes I swapped the meat for cauliflower.
INGREDIENTS
For the cauliflower:
- 1 large cauliflower (about 3 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lemon
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tahini-yogurt sauce:
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Romaine lettuce, for serving
- Warm pita bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425F and place a rack in the lower position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the cauliflower into florets. Chop the cilantro and set it aside.
- In a bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil, coriander, cumin and papirka and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread it out on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, or until browned. Stir and roast until tender, about 10 minutes longer.
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the cauliflower and toss. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then toss with the chopped herbs.
- Meanwhile, make the tahini-yogurt sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water. Add more water as necessary to loosen the sauce. Finely grate the garlic over the sauce, then whisk it in; season with salt and pepper.
- Pile the cauliflower into pitas and drizzle with the sauce, then serve.
