This recipe is adapted from Madeleine Olivia’s Cookbook, Plant Kitchen Comforts. I noticed a lot of British recipes call for Harissa Paste, an ingredient that isn’t common here in Canada. I found it at a local specialty shop (Wishbone) and have also seen it on Amazon, if you’re not familiar with it either. It definitely makes the recipe, so worth seeking it out.
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower (or 6 cups frozen), cut into florets
4 cups boiling water
4 heaping teaspoons veggie bouillon paste or powder
2 cups dry basmati rice, rinsed
15 whole dried apricots, quartered
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
540 ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 Tablespoons Harissa paste
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons crushed garlic (2 cloves)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 whole fresh lime (juice & zest)
Optional toppings: slivered almonds, pickled red onion, fresh cilantro, pomegranate seeds
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep all ingredients. Combine boiling water, veggie bouillon paste, half the harissa paste and salt. Mix till well combined then set aside.
- In a large roasting pan, combine half the harissa paste and salt, plus all the crushed garlic and olive oil. Add the cauliflower and mix till florets are evenly covered in the sauce. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes till cooked through and starting to brown.
- Remove from oven, add the dry rinsed rice, broth mixture, drained and rinsed chickpeas, quartered dried apricots, lime zest, and roughly chopped cilantro to the cauliflower in the roasting pan. Mix evenly. Cover with a lid or double layer of tin foil. Return to 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid carefully, and fluff rice with a fork. Drizzle lime juice over the top, with any of the optional toppings you like, or not, and serve hot.
Plum Hill 