Roast cauliflower, basmati and wild rice salad

This colourful rice salad recipe combines a plethora of tasty ingredients which all come together in perfect harmony. Cauliflower is roasted with saffron and cinnamon; pears are roasted in honey; kale is baked until crisp and a verdant zhoug dressing is tempered with creamy tahini. An incredible vegetarian salad that's well worth the effort.

Ingredients

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Toasted saffron (for the rice and the roasted cauliflower)

1 tsp saffron

Spiced basmati and wild rice

Saffron and cinnamon-roasted cauliflower

100g of coconut oil
1 tsp turmeric, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, large, minced
1 tbsp of chaat masala
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cauliflower, cut into florets and stalk sliced
salt

Honey-roasted pears

4 pears, halved
1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp of verjuice
50g of honey, preferably Manuka

Zhoug

25g of coriander
15g of parsley
2 green chillies, deseeded
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled
30ml of extra virgin olive oil
30ml of water
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

Kale crisps

50g of kale, washed
olive oil
chaat masala
salt

Lemon and tahini cream

60g of tahini
75ml of water
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt

To serve

1 handful of pomegranate seeds
1 handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 handful of chopped coriander

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Food processor

To begin, toast the saffron strands. Place a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the saffron. Cook until gently toasted and aromatic, but do not allow to burn. Set aside a small pinch of the saffron to one side for the rice, and place the rest in a small bowl with a splash of water for the cauliflower

1 tsp saffron

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the cinnamon stick, the pinch of toasted saffron, and a pinch of salt. Add the rice blend and stir. Place a lid on the pan and cook according to packet instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6

Meanwhile, prepare the roasted cauliflower. In a saucepan set over a medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the soaked saffron, (be careful as the wet saffron will make the oil spit a little) turmeric, ginger, garlic, chaat masala, fennel, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook gently until aromatic and bubbling

100g of coconut oil
1 tsp turmeric, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, large, minced
1 tbsp of chaat masala
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
salt

Coat the cauliflower well with the mixture, place in a baking tray and roast for about 8 minutes, or until caramelised all over. Reserve to one side

1 cauliflower, broken into florets

When the rice is ready, drain well and spread out onto a tray or plate to allow to cool

Lower the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Line a baking tray with baking paper

To prepare the pears, peel away stripes of the skin for a decorative finish and scoop out the core using a spoon. Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, verjus and honey, mix well with the pears and pour everything onto the baking tray. Bake until tender

4 pears, peeled and halved
1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses
50g of honey, preferably Manuka
2 tbsp of red verjus

To prepare the zhoug, simply place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse together to form a fairly smooth paste

25g of coriander
15g of parsley
2 green chillies, deseeded
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled
30ml of extra virgin olive oil
30ml of water
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

To prepare the kale crisps, sprinkle the kale with oil, chaat masala and salt. Bake in the oven with the pears for 5–10 minutes, or until crisp

salt
50g of kale, washed
olive oil
chaat masala

For the lemon and tahini dressing, simply whisk together all of the ingredients and adjust the seasoning to taste

salt
60g of tahini
75ml of water
1/2 lemon, juiced

To serve, layer up all of the salad elements, sprinkling with coriander, pomegranate seeds and parsley as you go. Finish with the kale crisps and serve

1 handful of chopped coriander
1 handful of pomegranate seeds
1 handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

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Anna Hansen

Whether you call it 'fusion', 'global' or 'basically indescribable' is beside the point; Anna Hansen's food is without a doubt fresh and adventurous - you might even call it modern.

Basmati and wild rice salad with saffron cauliflower, honey-roast pears and zhoug

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