Tangy baked cauliflower with tangy lemon and tahini sauce.
There are days I can't remember where I put my keys or what I ate for breakfast. Is it the 3 kids that made me lose my memory or just getting older? I'm not sure but I do know that there are some memories that are hard to forget. Like Sunday meals with the family growing up. Sundays were one of the only days my dad didn't open the shop. It was also the day where we had a big meal, often chicken and toum, grape leaves and side dishes of hummus and baba ganoush. Not too long ago, I remembered a dish my mom used to make, fried cauliflower. Fried bites of cauliflower with tangy, delicious tarator sauce. But let's be honest, I don't like frying much. So I thought recreating this well loved recipe by roasting the cauliflower, resulting in a delicious side dish or appetizer perfect for Sunday supper or an appetizer or side dish at your holiday gathering.
Baked not Fried
Arnabeet Mekleh (translated to fried cauliflower) is a common Lebanese snack. Cauliflower florets dredged and fried into morsels of goodness, drizzled with the classic tarator sauce (tahini garlic sauce). Don't get me wrong, I LOVE these bites, they are everything you dream of. But I do NOT like frying, especially savory foods. I'll fry a donut any day of the week, but savory foods tend to evoke more of a smell when frying. And let's be honest, anything baked is 10x healthier for you. Do you prefer baked foods versus fried? Truth be told, my kids aren't cauliflower fans, until they tried these delicious bites. Roasted to perfection with a healthy coating of toum to really caramelize and glaze the bites, tangy lemon squeezed on top and garlicky tarator to dip. These simple ingredients truly transform the simple, humble cauliflower to the perfect snack.
A squeeze of lemon on the hot charred cauliflower.
Classic taratore sauce (tahini, garlic and lemon) take these from ordinary to extraordinary.
Health Benefits
Cauliflower has been the CRAZE lately, cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza (which I beg to disagree on). Truth is, cauliflower is a superfood that we all should be eating more of. It's an excellent source of fiber, high in Vitamin C and an anti-inflammatory. I always appreciate new ways of enjoying vegetables, with this dish being both vegan and gluten free, it's a winner for anyone looking for a delicious, nutritious dish.
As always, I hope you enjoy this dish and love seeing your creations. Tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.
xoxo,
Cosette
Enjoy as an appetizer or side dish for any meal.
Lebanese Cauliflower Bites, Pin for later.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
|
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon toum *can sub 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1.5 teaspoon garlic powder, using toum will result in better flavor)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- lemon wedges
- 1-2 large garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup lemon juice
- salt to taste
Ingredients
Baked Cauliflower
Tarator (tahini sauce)
|
|
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- Prepare cauliflower by cutting into florets.
- Spread florets on baking sheet and coat with toum and salt, be sure each floret is coated.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes tossing halfway to ensure all pieces are browning evenly.
- Once browned and caramelized, remove from oven and squeeze liberally with lemon.
- Plate and enjoy with taratore sauce.
- With mortar and pestle smash garlic, add your tahini, water, lemon and salt. Adjust lemon and salt to your liking. Add additional water or lemon juice to thin if too thick.
Cheryl Merrill says
What is toum, please?
Cosette's Kitchen says
Hi Cheryl,
Toum is a Lebanese emulsified garlic sauce. You can find the recipe linked in this text of this recipe or right on the webpage:
https://cosetteskitchen.com/recipe/toum
Hope that helps! Message me with any questions you have.
Cosette
Julie M says
This was a hit! My daughter and husband are not fans of cauliflower but I thought I’d give this recipe a shot anyway, since it’s been the only way I’ve gotten my daughter to eat veggies. They loved it! This is definitely something that needs to be eaten right away, as they’ll get soggy if waiting to long to eat, but they were delicious! I might just have to get two heads of cauliflower next time, since I couldn’t stop picking on them before dinner 😆
This one too gets a 5 star from me!
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cosette's Kitchen says
Hahaha! Yes, same here but somehow these make me enjoy cauliflower and for sure eating them right away is best. Sometimes you can crisp back up in the oven if you need to reheat.
Xoxo,
Cosette
Corey King says
Hello,
Could this recipe be cooked in a Phillips air fryer?
Or would it be better to just fry them 🙂 my oven cannot reach past 220 degrees.
Cosette's Kitchen says
I think that would be WONDERFUL!♥️
XOXO,
Cosette
Sharon Splett says
I made this Arnabeet for a party, even subbing the oil and garlic powder for the Toum, and they said it was "Excellent!" This time I made the Toum from scratch and I am amazed at the flavor of the condiment! Can't wait to make the Arnabeet with it! Your recipes are clear and the dishes turn out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Cosette's Kitchen says
Hi Sharon,
Thank you so much for leaving such a kind review. I'm so glad you and your guests enjoyed the cauliflower. Such a simple, healthy and flavorful dish. And YES to toum! It's perfect for so many dishes! Have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo,
Cosette
Safa says
The tarator sauce, when made to the exact measurements listed, is extremely runny -- nothing like what I've had before and nothing like the pictures show. Twice as much liquid as tahini definitely does not work (and yes, my tahini was the correct consistency). So disappointed as we had to just throw it out.
Cosette's Kitchen says
I'm so sorry you had issues with the tarator sauce, the consistency should be quite loose, not thick at all. I feel bad that you threw it away, you could always add a touch more tahini to adjust if you felt it was a bit too thin for your liking. Hope you do try it again with adjustments to suit your needs.
Cosette