Fried cauliflower and potato salad with a yogurt sauce rich in tahini and mustard, served on a bed of arugula, mint, and purslane. A vegetable-rich main course, suitable for lunch and dinner.
Cauliflower and potato salad with white sauce is a classic Levantine dish that combines fried vegetables with a yogurt sauce of tahini and mustard, served cold or at room temperature.
It is widespread in winter seasons when cauliflower, potatoes, and purslane are abundant in the markets of the Levant.
In a deep plate, combine the yogurt, tahini, mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and black pepper, and stir with a hand whisk until you have a smooth, homogeneous sauce. Set it aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide deep pan over medium heat, add the grated potato, and wait two minutes, then gently turn it to the other side with a wide metal spoon and wait a few minutes until it is golden on both sides.
In the same pan, add the cauliflower florets and wait a few minutes, turning them gently, then turn them to the other side until they are golden. Lift them out and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
In a deep serving plate, place the fried potato and cauliflower with the lettuce leaves, grated carrot, arugula, chopped mint, and purslane leaves, and toss them gently to distribute.
Pour the yogurt sauce over the vegetables and stir gently with a fork until all the ingredients are coated in the sauce, then serve immediately in the serving dish with a piece of flatbread or lemon slices.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Cauliflower and Potato Salad with White Sauce, and how to fix them:
This is normal when the vegetables are warm. Chill them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before mixing, and add an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise to set the texture.
Place it on paper towels immediately and let it sit for 3 minutes so the oil absorbs. If it is very oily, transfer it to a preheated oven for 3 minutes to dry it out.
The salad stays good for a full day after preparation, but the yogurt sauce stays separate in a jar for two days. Pour it over the vegetables right before serving.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | Labneh or cream cheese | 1:1 | Labneh gives a tangier flavor and a clearer Lebanese taste, and the cream cheese thickens the texture. |
| Purslane | Baby spinach or extra arugula | Same quantity | Baby spinach gives a milder flavor, and the extra arugula gives a strong, peppery flavor. |
Let the potato and cauliflower cool for 5 minutes before mixing them with the sauce, as the heat melts the yogurt and breaks the sauce's creamy texture. For a thicker sauce, add an extra tablespoon of tahini with a tablespoon of cold water.
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