Last year, cauliflower was the “it” vegetable. It was splashed across headlines as “the new kale.” I am happy to hear that the trend is expected to be true this year as well, and rightfully so. Healthy, tasty and so versatile, cauliflower is a chef’s (and mom’s) dream vegetable.

I had a beautiful head of cauliflower waiting to be cooked with the perfect collaboration partner– chickpeas. I have been cooking a lot of chickpeas the past few weeks- mostly as hummus, additions to minestrone or to munch on with a little salt and pepper. I thought about making more hummus and serving it with some raw cauliflower. Maybe even make some roasted cauliflower with chickpeas and olives.

What I really wanted though was falafels and cauliflower together in a substantial but healthy dish. Since grinding lentils/beans and sautéing them with vegetables is a common theme in South Indian cuisine, I used the same principle with the falafels.

I made the falafel batter, then “riced” the cauliflower and sautéed them together with some olive oil.

Simple as that. Enjoy!

Print Cauliflower with Falafel Crumbles Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Serving Size: 4-6 Ingredients 1 head of cauliflower 1 cup uncooked chickpeas 2-3 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional) a small bunch of fresh parsley and cilantro salt to taste 2-3 tablespoons olive oil Method Soak the chickpeas for 12-24 hours. Drain and set aside. Cut the cauliflower into large pieces. Add them, a few pieces at a time, to a food processor. Process until finely cut, but not mushy. Remove and put in a separate container. Place the chickpeas in the food processor (you do not have to rinse any remaining cauliflower crumbs out). Add the remaining ingredients (except the herbs and salt). Process coarsely. Add the herbs and salt (start out with a 1/2 teaspoon salt) to taste. Pulse/process until the herbs are incorporated into the batter. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet. When heated, add the falafel batter and cook until almost done (partly crispy). Add the "riced" cauliflower. Mix well and continue to cook for five minutes or so until the cauliflower and falafel crumbles are ready. Correct seasonings. Garnish with more cilantro and parsley. 3.1 http://globalveg.com/2015/02/01/cauliflower-with-falafel-crumbles/ Copyright: Global Veg