Showpiece for Summer Shabbat: Grilled Cauliflower with Tamarind Tomato Sauce

Photo courtesy of the author.

With the arrival of warmer weather, I move my Shabbat dinner cooking outdoors and feature more grilled foods, including this Grilled Cauliflower with Tamarind Tomato Sauce. It makes a colorful, golden centerpiece for a late summer cookout or a Shabbat dinner menu.

The dish is a grilled variation of a recipe from my cookbook (52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen). I was reminded of it when I taught the oven-roasted version during a heat wave in a “52 Shabbats” cooking class that I had donated to a Kesher Ruach Hadassah chapter silent auction.

As we all struggled to cook in the hot kitchen, I kept thinking we should have grilled the cauliflower instead of baking it. That made me want to share this adaptation, which has an extra Near Eastern spin with its topping of a tangy tamarind tomato sauce.

The recipe calls for ingredients (hawaij, ground sumac and tamarind paste), which I keep on hand for a variety of Sephardic and Mizrahi dishes. Hawaij, a Yemeni spice mix, provides flavor and color. The word “hawaij” means “all that is needed” and comes in a couple of varieties, so choose the bright yellow spice mix meant for soup and savory foods. Ground sumac, a dried, tart berry, adds a pleasant citrus taste. I keep it on hand to sprinkle into the pot or atop the serving plate whenever I want to brighten and heighten flavors. Tamarind paste or concentrate is made from the fruit of the tamarind pod. It adds a sweet and sour component to dishes throughout the Levantine, Near East, India, Southeast Asia and even Mexico and Central America.

You can find these spices online and in specialty, kosher and Middle Eastern markets. Tamarind paste is also available in Mexican, Thai and Indian markets.

I’ve included “make-ahead” directions. You can also make the cauliflower on an indoor electric grill or in a grill pan. Accompany the dish with vegetable, green and/or grain (tabbouleh) salad or salads, or serve it with your favorite grilled protein (chicken, beef, fish, lamb, tofu, etc.).

Grilled Cauliflower with Tamarind Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

Hawaij Marinade (see below)
Tamarind Tomato Sauce (see below)
2 lbs. whole cauliflower
2 Tbsp. water
Vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. total chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill and/or mint)

Have marinade and sauce ready. Cut off cauliflower leaves. Cut stem close to base. Slice in half from top through base. Clean well, draining cauliflower. Pat dry. Place in a microwave-safe cooking dish. Brush marinade on all sides. Reserve remainder of marinade.

Turn cauliflower so the cut sides face down. Add 2 Tbsps. of water and tent with waxed paper. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until a fork pierces halfway through cauliflower.

Grease grill grates with oil. Heat to medium high. Place cauliflower cut sides down directly on grill. Brush with reserved marinade. Grill halves, turning occasionally and brushing with marinade, until fork slides through. (Cauliflower can be made in advance up to this point. Wrap halves. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. To serve, either bring to room temperature or reheat in microwave or 250-degree oven and then proceed with the recipe.)

While the cauliflower is grilling, warm Tomato Tamarind Sauce in microwave or in a small pot if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature by cutting each piece in half and topping with room temperature or warmed sauce. Sprinkle with herbs.

Hawaij Marinade
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. hawaij spice mix (or curry powder)
1/2 tsp. ground sumac (or 1 1/2 tsp. finely minced or grated lemon zest)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crumbled dried mint leaves
1/4 tsp. chili flakes

Combine minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, hawaij, sumac, salt, dried mint and chili. Mix well. Can be refrigerated for a day. Bring to room temperature. Mix well before using.

(For make-it-yourself hawaij spice mix and for another recipe using it, you might want to try a recipe for grilled chicken using this mix, which is featured in a previous column of mine for The Times of Israel Blogs.)

Tomato Tamarind Sauce
8 oz. can plain tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste or concentrate (or as needed)
1 tsp. sugar (or as needed)

In a small pot over medium low heat, combine sauce with tamarind and sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer until reduced to the consistency of a thick pasta sauce. Taste. It should be pleasantly sweet and tart. Add more tamarind or sugar as needed.

Can be made up to three days in advance. Store airtight in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature or warm before using. If sauce has gotten too thick, add water by the tablespoon.