This dish is based around Middle-Eastern flavours and is a lovely starter for a dinner party as it can be made well ahead or a perfect supper served with some flatbread to soak up the zhoug juices. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
Roasting cauliflower brings flavour and a slight crispy texture. Roasted red pepper can replace the carrot for a different flavour. The peppers can be skinned after roasting.
Zhoug originated in Yemen but is very popular in Syria and Israel. It is a hot, fragrant and spicy herb sauce which is similar in consistency to pesto but packs quite a punch! It can be used as a condiment or a cooking sauce. 
The Zhoug keeps in the fridge for a few days. It can be thinned with some more olive oil to use as a salad dressing.
Zhoug serving ideas-
- delicious with falafel and tzaziki
- mix with chickpeas as a side dish
- serve with fried eggs or frittata
- swirl into hummus
- perfect accompaniment to feta cheese and tomatoes in a salad
Roasted cauliflower and carrot with zhoug, yogurt and preserved lemon
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauiflower
- 4 carrots
- 4 shallots
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 100 g greek style yogurt
- 8 preserved lemon quarters
- salt and pepper
Zhoug
- 75 g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, chopped
- 25 g parsley, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
- 1 tsp cumin
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 75 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Heat oven 190C / Gas Mark 5
- Peel carrots and cut into 2cm slices on the slant. Peel the shallots.
- Cut the cauliflower into tomato-size chunks.
- Place the cauliflower, shallots and carrots into a bowl with the oil and salt and pepper and toss well.
- Place the cauliflower and on a baking tray and the carrots and shallots on another.
- Roast the carrots and shallots for 20 - 25 minutes until just cooked and the cauliflower for 15-20 minutes, adding the tomatoes for the last 5 minutes. It is good to have a little bite left to the cauliflower.
- Arrange the cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and shallots on plates. Put spoonfuls of yogurt and zhoug dotted around all over it.
- Garnish with the preserved lemon slices.
Zhoug
- Blitz all the ingredients, except for the oil, until smooth.
- Continue to process while adding the oil slowly until fully blended.
Notes
- delicious with falafel and tzaziki
- mix with chickpeas as a side dish
- serve with fried eggs or frittata
- swirl into hummus
- perfect accompaniment to feta cheese and tomatoes in a salad
