Spiced Cauliflower Chraime
Chraime is a spicy North African fish stew, popular with Sephardic Jews for Rosh Hashana, Passover and Shabbat. The word “chraime” has roots in an Arabic word meaning “hot.” This meatless version highlights cauliflower, stewed until tender, studded with plump and juicy golden raisins and drizzled with date syrup. Served over couscous, rice or quinoa, this sweet and spicy tomato-based stew is a great weeknight meal. Excerpted from Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine, by Micah Siva. Copyright 2024 by Micah Siva. Published by The Collective Book Studio. Reprinted with permission.
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium white onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons date syrup or pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Remove leaves from cauliflower and trim stem. Leaving core intact, cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, crushed red pepper, cinnamon and salt; stir until combined. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has darkened and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, raisins and lemon juice; stir to combine.
- Arrange the cauliflower wedges in the pan in a single layer; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cover, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drizzle with date (or maple) syrup and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
