Ingredients: |
Ingredients: This is a vegan version of Ottolenghi's famous cauliflower cake. A savoury bake which is somewhere between a quiche and a cake, folded with tender cauliflower and fresh herbs. Absolutely delicious for a springtime or summer lunch!
1 small cauliflower, outer leaves and core removed, broken into 1¼-inch florets
1 medium red onion, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
2 cups chickpea flour
1 tsp black salt (kala namak), or regular salt
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ cup soy yoghurt*
½ cup water, and more for adjusting the consistency of the batter
1 tsp lemon juice
A pinch of black pepper
¼ cup nutritional yeast, or finely grated vegan cheese
½ cup basil leaves, chopped (20g)
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoons nigella or black sesame seeds
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat the oven to 180C, and grease and line the base and sides of an 8' or 9' springform pan.
Place the prepared cauliflower florets in a pot of boiling water and boil until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
As the cauliflower boils, chop two round slices, each ¼-inches thick, from the middle of the red onion and set aside. These rings will be your topping. Chop the remaining red onion, and fry in the olive oil in a non-stick skillet for 5 minutes until softened. Add the rosemary and continue to fry for 3 more minutes until fragrant. Set this aside.
In a large bowl, sift the chickpea flour, black salt, baking soda, baking powder, and turmeric together. Mix well and form a well in the centre. Add in the soy yoghurt, and ½ cup of the water. Stir well to form a smooth batter. Add more water, if needed, a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. The batter should be thick, but flow off the spoon or whisk you are using and fall down smoothly, like a ribbon. If you add in too much water by accident, just add a small spoonful more of chickpea flour.
Stir in the lemon juice and pepper. Then, fold in the nutritional yeast, chopped basil leaves, and fried onion mixture. Finally, add your drained cauliflower and fold in gently, taking care not to break the cauliflower up too much.
Brush some oil on the baking paper lining the sides of the pan, and toss in the sesame and nigella seeds, twirling the pan around so the seeds stick. Spoon in all of the prepared batter and use a spoon to smooth out the top. Layer your onion rings on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (without any chickpea batter), and the top of your cake is golden.
Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, before serving. It should be served just warm, rather than hot, or at room temperature. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Caramelise your onions well, in a pan slick with a generous glug of olive oil. Fry them until the firm, crisp slices collapse into a sticky, bronzed tangle. Well-caramelised onions make all the difference, lending a sweet, buttery flavour to your vegan cauliflower cake.
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