Rose Harissa Chickpeas with Roast Cauliflower and Dill Yogurt

This dish is the perfect winter warmer but with an added light touch, which is perfect for this weird weather we are currently having.

I’ve added my favourite spice, Rose Harissa, to one of my favourite ingredients, the chickpea, and paired it with roasted cauliflower and a dill yogurt for a comfort dish that I just know you are going to love.

The dill yogurt is a game-changer. Dill is so underappreciated, I think because it has such a pungent taste, similar to that of fennel or celery, that it can pack quite an unusual punch of flavour if not used correctly or paired with the right ingredients.

It’s an amazing addition to potato or grain dishes, such as this, or for anything that has a creamy dressing.

It’s also really delicious and used commonly in vegan replacement dishes for seafood, cheese, or egg. Basil, Chives, garlic, and onion all pair great with it too. Which makes it such a versatile ingredient, especially in vegan or plant-based cooking.

So, if you haven’t tried cooking with it before. I definitely suggest you try!

Another reason I love this dish so much, is that it has very little prep, and the oven does all the magic for you.

You only really need to chop a few herbs, blitz the sauce when cooked and coat the cauliflower in your marinade before cooking, which makes it the perfect mid-week meal when you just really CBA to cook.

Plus, roasted cauliflower is a magical thing. Roasting it turns the florets’ general subtle flavour into one that is deep and caramelised that exude sweetness and a nuttiness you’re unable to get in any other cooking method. And the marinade sticks and coats to each crevice, making sure each bite is a little flavour packed bomb that builds on the back of your palette.

Once you pair that nutty cauliflower with creamy chickpeas that have been fried with smoked paprika, garlic, onion and rose harissa to create the ultimate feel-good comfort food.

I actually love making extra of these chickpeas to keep in the fridge, and then serve on toast or dip fresh sourdough into for a quick and easy lunch that is delicious as it is filling.

The dill yogurt is another great staple to have up your sleeve, and in your fridge to swirl into soups, top curries, stews, or dahls or just slather on top of veggies or in a veggie-loaded sandwich.

Once made it keeps for around 3–4 days but in my house, it never even lasts close to that. I’m always just popping into the fridge and dipping whatever I can find into it. It has this delicious zing from the citrus and the aromatic fragrance from the herb that is just oh-so-more-ish.

This recipe serves two, but you can always double it and make enough to freeze–minus the yogurt topping (but that can easily be whipped up in seconds). Once cooked, combine the roasted cauliflower in small enough chunks to be easily contained and combine, so the cauliflower is coated in enough sauce to survive the freezer.

If you have too much leftover but don’t want to freeze, you can easily blend the chickpeas and sauce together and then toss through pasta and add the roasted cauliflower chunks in at the end. Or blend it all together to make a delicious soup. Use coconut cream or your dill yogurt to thin it to your desired consistency, and then dip in some delicious homemade flatbreads.

Have fun and enjoy the recipe, love Niki xx