Roasted cauliflower salad with yoghurt dressing and almonds

The cauliflower is roasted until it starts to caramelise, which adds extra depth of flavour to this winning salad. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

Prep time 15 mins, cook 20 mins

Serves 4 (pictured p95)

80 gm flaked almonds

1 (1.3kg) cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets

1 tbsp olive oil

90 gm puffed quinoa (see note)

2 cups (loosely packed) coriander

1 cup (loosely packed) mint

1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley ½ cup (loosely packed) dill

1 tsp toasted nigella seeds

Lime halves, to serve (optional)

Spice mixture

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp black peppercorns 4 cloves

1 tbsp ground turmeric

Yoghurt dressing

180 gm Greek-style yoghurt

1 garlic clove, crushed

Finely grated rind of ½ lime and juice of 1, or to taste

1 Preheat oven to 150C. Spread almonds on an oven tray and roast until golden (5-6 minutes). Set almonds aside and increase oven to 250C.

2 For spice mixture, dry-roast whole spices in a small frying pan over high heat until fragrant (30-40 seconds; see cook’s notes p193). Cool, then grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Add turmeric and pulse in grinder or stir to combine.

3 Place cauliflower in a bowl. Add oil and spice mixture, season to taste and toss to combine (turmeric stains so wear gloves if using your hands). Scatter in an oven dish and roast until cauliflower is golden and tender, and starting to char at the edges (15-20 minutes). Cool.

4 Meanwhile, dry-roast puffed quinoa in a frying pan over medium heat until crisp (3-5 minutes).

5 For yoghurt dressing, combine ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

6 Spoon yoghurt dressing onto plates, top with cauliflower, scatter with almonds, puffed quinoa, herbs and nigella seeds, season with lime to taste and serve.

Note Puffed quinoa is available from health-food shops.

Drink suggestion Crisp, dry pilsner.