Beetroot and Cumin Caulicous

Cauliflower works as a great alternative to couscous as it has a similar texture to carbohydrates like potatoes and rice, without the starch. It can also be turned into a flour. Cauliflower is a member of the brassica family and is popular in Indian cooking. In 2013, China and India alone grew 76 per cent of the world’s cauliflowers.

Ingredients

250g cauliflower (about half a medium cauliflower)
1 small brown onion
1 glove garlic
1 orange (juice of)
150g cooked beetroot (not pickled)
1 x 15ml vegetable oil
4 x 15ml spoons water
1 x 15ml spoon of ground cumin
1 x 15ml spoon pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 x 15ml spoon chopped fresh coriander
Black pepper (optional)

Equipment

Chopping board
Vegetable knife
Grater
Bowl or plate
Juice squeezer
Frying pan

Instructions

1. On a clean, dry chopping board roughly chop the cauliflower using the bridge and claw method. Finely grate the chunks of cauliflower until you have a fine couscous. Set aside.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Set aside.
3. Cut the orange in half and use the juice squeezer to extract all of the juice.
4. Chop the cooked beetroot into small cubes – around 1cm in size. Set aside.
5. In a pan heat the oil on a moderate heat.
6. When hot, add the onions and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Add the finely chopped cauliflower to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes.
9. Add the water and orange juice and simmer on a moderate heat for another 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the ground cumin and cooked beetroot and simmer for another 5–10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft but still has texture to it. Take off the heat.
11. When ready to serve sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds, washed and chopped coriander and black pepper if using.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, grating, chopping, juicing, frying and simmering.

Top Tips

• Beetroot and Cumin Caulicous tastes best if served chilled.
• Use a fork to hold the beetroot while you chop it to avoid purple fingers.
• A quick way to release the pomegranate seeds is to cut the fruit in half, hold it face down over a bowl and hit it on the back with a spoon and the seeds will pop out.
• An 80g portion of cauliflower provides one of your 5-a-day, as does an 80g portion of beetroot.

Something to try next time

• Substitute the beetroot for 100g chopped dates or sultanas.

Prepare now, eat later

• Once cooked, the caulicous can be kept in a sealed container in a fridge for up to 48 hours.

Get more from your food

• Use the stems of the cauliflower as well as the florets in your caulicous.
• Freeze the remaining cauliflower in a zip-lock bag – either break into florets or finely chop to make another portion of caulicous at a later date.