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Air fryer cauliflower with tahini sauce

Air fryer cauliflower with browned edges and a creamy sauce of tahini, lemon and garlic. With pitta breads it is a meal for two, ready in half an hour.

  • Easy
  • Some chopping
  • Vegetarian
  • Air fryer

Recipe by Lydia Louter · Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
A plate of roasted cauliflower florets with tahini sauce and parsley over them, with two pitta breads beside it, on a wooden table.

Method

  1. Step 1: Heat the air fryer to 200 °C. Cut 1 cauliflower into florets about 3 cm across.

  2. Step 2: Toss the florets in a large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp salt until they are coated all over.

  3. Step 3: Cook the florets in the air fryer for 15 minutes, shaking the basket after 8 minutes. They are done when the edges are browned and a knife goes in easily.

    Timer 15 min

  4. Step 4: Meanwhile, stir 3 tbsp tahini, the juice of ½ lemon, 1 clove garlic and 60 ml water together in a small bowl. The tahini turns thick and lumpy at first; keep stirring and it smooths out on its own. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more water. Taste and stir in a little salt if it needs it.

  5. Step 5: Take the cauliflower out of the basket. Put 2 pitta breads in the air fryer until warm, which takes about 2 minutes.

    Timer 2 min

  6. Step 6: Divide the cauliflower between the plates, spoon the sauce on top and scatter flat-leaf parsley over. Serve with the warm pitta.

About this recipe

In the air fryer, cauliflower browns at the edges and keeps a little bite in the middle, which is what you want under a sauce like this. Tahini is creamy and slightly bitter, and the lemon keeps the sauce fresh. Spoon the sauce on at the last moment, so the florets stay crisp.

next time sesame seeds over the cauliflower

Tips

  • Doesn't the cauliflower fit in the basket in one go? Cook it in two batches. In a crowded basket the florets steam instead of browning.
  • If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of water. Too thin? An extra spoonful of tahini fixes it. If you make the sauce ahead, it thickens in the fridge and needs another splash of water.
  • Want some heat? Sprinkle chilli flakes over the florets before they go into the air fryer.

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