This recipe was created by Vegan Chef Day.

Prep time - 15 minutes

Cook time - 45 minutes

Difficulty - Difficult

Serves / makes - 2-4 portions

Ingredients

1 cauliflower (I used a small to medium sized cauli)

2 teaspoons of chilli powder (less if you do not want it as spicy)

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 teaspoons ground cumin (we toasted seeds and ground them myself for a stronger flavour but this is optional)

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds plus 1 teaspoon for the greens

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons coconut oil

(1 tablespoon liquid smoke - if you are not using a smoker)

4 or 5 birdseye chillies

4 or 5 garlic cloves

A handful of fresh curry leaves plus a few for the greens

4 or 5 stalks of cavolo nero

A little red cabbage, finely sliced

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200c/390f/GM6.

2. Cut the leaves off the cauliflower, discard the very outer leaves that are a bit battered and tough. Roughly chop the remaining leaves and set to one side. 

3. In a small bowl or jug, mix the spices, oil and salt. Turn the cauliflower upside down and pour one quarter of the oil into the gaps.

4. Push the curry leaves, chillies and garlic cloves into those gaps, you may have to push quite hard but they should go in. If the garlic cloves you are using are big cut them lengthwise in half and then insert them. 

5. Turn the cauliflower the right way up and cover with the remaining oil, using your hands (yes, this will get messy!) to rub it into every part of the cauliflower. 

6. Put the cauliflower on a piece of foil, put any garlic cloves that wouldn't fit inside on the top along with any remaining chillies. Wrap the cauliflower up very well, we want to keep all the steam inside so it makes the cauliflower soft. 

7. Put this into the oven for around 20-30 minutes, check if it is cooked on the inside by poking a fork into one of the stalks in the center, you want it to be soft but not falling apart.

8. Toss the cauliflower stalks in a good drizzle of oil and a good dash of salt, mix well, put them onto a baking tray and roast in the oven for around 15 minutes until the stalk is tender and the leaves are crispy. Roughly chop the cavolo nero, put it in a frying pan with a dash of water, pop the lid on and let it steam till soft, this should just take a few minutes, add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, red cabbage and a dash of salt. Cook on a medium heat just to heat everything through. Add the cauliflower stalk, mix well and leave to keep warm until the cauliflower is cooked.  

9. If you are using a smoker add your chips (I used hickory chips), add everything (cauliflower, chillies, garlic) to the smoking plate. Smoke the cauliflower for 10 - 15 minutes. 

10. On your serving plate add the greens. Add the cauliflower to the plate with the chillies and garlic, dress with a scattering of toasted sesame seeds or almond flakes. 

Equipment

Small bowl or jug

Foil

Baking tray