Spiced Whole-roasted Cauliflower

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER

Filled with a nutty pumpkin seed and hummus stuffing and served with a Syrian-inspired sauce, this flavoursome dish is sure to wow.

Hands-on time 30min, plus (overnight) marinating. Cooking time about 50min.

Serves 4

 75g hummus

 1tbsp plain flour

 25g pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped

 1/2tsp ground cumin

 1tbsp freshly chopped coriander, plus extra to garnish

 2 garlic cloves, crushed

 1 whole cauliflower (about 800g), leaves trimmed

 11/2tbsp coriander seeds

 1tbsp cumin seeds

 1tsp ground cinnamon

 1/2tsp turmeric

 Juice 1/2 lemon

 2tbsp olive oil

 2tbsp pomegranate seeds

 1tbsp flaked almonds

FOR THE MUHAMMARA SAUCE

 25g blanched almonds

 75g roasted red peppers from a jar (drained weight)

 1tbsp dried breadcrumbs

 1 garlic clove

 1tbsp olive oil

1 For the cauliflower, in a small bowl, mix hummus, flour, pumpkin seeds, cumin, fresh coriander and 1/2 the garlic. Set aside. Lay a large sheet of baking parchment into a deep casserole dish (that has a lid) that will hold the cauliflower.

2 Using a pestle and mortar, roughly crush the coriander and cumin seeds. Heat a small frying pan over low-medium heat and fry the crushed seeds for 1min, until fragrant. Remove from heat and mix in the cinnamon, turmeric, lemon juice, olive oil, remaining garlic and 1/2tsp salt. Set aside.

3 Gently pull apart the cauliflower florets to loosen slightly. Trim the base and, using a small sharp knife, remove the core to make a cavity (making sure you keep the florets attached).

4 Press the hummus mixture into the cavity and around the base of the cauliflower. Place stuffing-down into the lined dish. Brush/rub over the crushed seed mixture, working it into the gaps between the florets. Cover with a lid and leave to marinate for 1hr at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.

5 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Roast cauliflower (covered) for 50min, or until tender. Meanwhile, make the muhammara sauce. In the small bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds to finely chop. Add the remaining ingredients, 1tbsp water and some seasoning and whizz until creamy.

6 Using the parchment to help, carefully transfer the cauliflower on to a serving plate or board. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, flaked almonds and chopped coriander. Serve with the sauce.

PER SERVING 365cals, 13g protein, 25g fat (2g saturates), 19g carbs (8g total sugars), 8g fibre