Make Ahead

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Activated Charcoal and Goji Berries

by:
July 12, 2017
3.5
4 Ratings
Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower with Activated Charcoal and Goji Berries
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

This recipe comes from Baba Cool Café in Brooklyn. —Sarah Jampel

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the turmeric ghee and the activated charcoal tahini:
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup finely grated fresh turmeric or ground turmeric
  • 1 cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon activated charcoal (like Solaray Activated Coconut Charcoal Powder), optional
  • Lemon juice and salt, for seasoning
  • For the finished dish:
  • 2 heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/3 cup turmeric ghee (from above)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon activated charcoal tahini (from above), or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup goji berries
Directions
  1. For the turmeric ghee and the activated charcoal tahini:
  2. For the turmeric ghee, place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt, stirring occasionally, until you see a thick white foam develop on the surface. When the butter starts to simmer, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Then scrape the sides of the pan: The liquid should become clearer and brown milk solids should appear at the bottom. Keep scraping the pan. The bubbles should get larger. When the butter starts to develop a white foam on the surface for a second time, the ghee is finished.
  3. Take the saucepan off the heat, pour over a sieve, and mix the turmeric into the strained, pure butter.
  4. To make the activated charcoal tahini, pour the ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined. Season with lemon juice and salt.
  1. For the finished dish:
  2. Heat the oven to 475° F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  3. Coat the cauliflower in olive oil and ghee and season with salt and pepper. Distribute on sheet pans and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the florets are beginning to char.
  4. Lightly coat the cauliflower with the tahini, adding more to taste. Adjust for salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then garnish with goji berries and serve.
Tags:

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Catherine Regina Cheng
    Catherine Regina Cheng
  • Sarah Jampel
    Sarah Jampel
  • Burton
    Burton
  • mizuna
    mizuna

Popular on Food52

5 Reviews

Burton
Burton January 27, 2019
Just a friendly warning – Check with your doctor before consuming *anything* that contains activated charcoal. It's contraindicated for a whole host of medications, including Tylenol, some heart medications, most antidepressants, and even a few asthma medications. If you consume activated charcoal while taking these medications, it could potentially lead to serious health problems. I know that the author wrote an article that mentions these issues, but it worries me that a recipe containing activated charcoal is being posted here at all, especially since plenty of people will probably stumble upon it without reading the article. Please don't make this as written – ditch the charcoal. It tastes foul, it looks gross, and it's probably bad for you if you're taking medication.
 
Catherine R.
Catherine R. July 24, 2017
Not sure what activated charcoal does for flavor, but I do know a lot of people eat activated charcoal in powder/tablet form to help aid in digestion. It also has a lot of cleansing properties and it's not a new trend; it's been used for centuries. I think I will try this!
 
Sarah J.
Sarah J. July 24, 2017
I actually wrote a lot about activated charcoal to go with this recipe! Here's the full story: https://food52.com/blog/20061-all-about-activated-charcoal
 
mizuna
mizuna July 17, 2017
this seems like a joke
 
Jr0717
Jr0717 July 16, 2017
What does the activated charcoal do for the taste of the tahini? Thanks!