It’s not easy pulling off a major PR breakthrough when you happen to look remarkably like the human brain (especially when you’re an edible).
But the humble cauliflower has done just that.
And a whole lot more. Emerging from the recesses of childhood memory where it was once written off as a wet, pulpy mass of tastelessness and rising to achieve culinary darling status, our brainy friend can now be found strutting its stuff all over town appearing in the form of: whole roasted cauliflower; cauliflower steaks; cauliflower pizza; cauliflower bread slices, cauliflower noodle lasagna, cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash (just to name a few).
Oh, almost forgot one of our faves, cauliflower ‘wings‘.
It turns out this winter white beauty is versatile and gorgeously adaptive. Cauliflower shines when intermingled with seasonings that temper its bitterness and accentuate its surprising depth of flavor. Cooking methods such as roasting, grilling and sautéing are some of the best ways of achieving this result.
In this particular recipe, I’ve broken down the cauliflower into ‘rice’ with a couple of quick pulses in the food processor and then simply sautéed it with some coconut oil and a delicious blend of spices. It’s about as simple as it gets and the results are tasty and a refreshing change from the usual denser side dish fare. This balance can be especially welcome when things tend to tip towards the heavier hitting carbs around the holiday season.
I chose the classic Indian combination of peas and mushroom (reminiscent of Khumb Matar) to complement the spices but you can go in any direction here with veggies of your choice. The soft plump raisins offer a delicate sweetness to balance the savory seasonings and the almonds some crunchy resilience. I decided to give the dish a seasonal flare with a sprinkle of pretty pomegranate seeds too.
In terms of texture, my youngest hit it on the head when he said the cauliflower rice reminded him of couscous. It has a softer, spongier texture than rice – this not to say that it’s unpleasant, but it is different so if you’re anticipating a firmer rice texture, you’ll be disappointed.
I hope you have fun with this one and experiment with your own favorite combinations of flavors, textures and seasonal colors.
Be sure to have a look through the Notes for more information and best results.
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium-large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 10 oz brown crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup peas, thawed from frozen
- ½ cup plump golden raisins (substitute dried cranberries or sliced apricot)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- salt & pepper
- sprinkle of pomegranate seeds (arils)
- Curry from Scratch:
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder (or to taste)
- Curry in a Hurry:
- 2 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- pinch cayenne powder, as desired (it's hot!)
- In a small bowl, combine curry seasonings of choice and set aside.
- Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse just until the florets are broken down and resemble 'rice' (you don't want to overdo this because as you breakdown the cauliflower more and more water will be released - you may need to work in two batches). The cauli rice will be moist but should not be dripping wet.
- Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a large skillet set to low medium heat and sauté onions and mushrooms until most of the moisture from the mushrooms has been released (about 10 minutes). Season the mixture with a good pinch of salt and coarse pepper (as desired). As the mixture continues to cook, sprinkle with half of the curry seasoning and toss to integrate.
- Add the peas and raisins to the skillet, tossing for a moment and then the cauliflower rice - sprinkle with remaining curry mixture and, using broad strokes, gently mix just until the 'rice' has heated through and the seasonings are well combined (you don't want to overdo this part to avoid a mushy mess).
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- This cauli rice is best served immediately. You can spread it out on a serving platter (as pictured) and sprinkle with almonds and pom seeds or on individual plates.
Spicing: 'curry powder' refers to a combination of spices ground together to impart the taste that we typically associate with Indian cuisine. The curry powders found in grocery stores are relatively mild. And although you won't generally find 'curry powder' used in authentic Indian recipes, there is nothing wrong with using this spice blend if it helps simplify your life - especially around the holidays! (I've included two recipe options for the curry blend in the recipe card).
Side or Main: this recipe was developed as a side dish but you can easily ramp it up to a main dish by adding some chickpeas and paneer (Indian cheese) for example. Or maybe some sautéed cubed tofu or tempeh. As you wish. A nourishing a delicious meal that happens to be vegetarian.
The Smell: once the cauliflower is broken down in the food processor it releases sulfurous compounds that are rather odiferous :o you don't want to store your freshly pulsed cauliflower rice in the fridge for hours before making this recipe (lest one of your kids ask you what died in there) - this is one recipe you want to make in one shot and luckily, it's not a very time consuming one.
Health Benefits: along with its other cruciferous friends (broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts), cauliflower is known for its high concentration of chemicals called glucosinolates which are broken down by bacteria in our digestive tract and transformed into bioactive compounds with cancer fighting properties.
It’s amazing how overcooking can spoil most vegetables… I cannot imagine loving cauliflower, broccoli or even courgette as much as I do if I continued eating it the way older generations in Europe still cook : to a mushy tasteless stuff (moreover both cauliflower and broccoli start smelling really strong when they’re overcook, have you noticed?).
I love cauliflower so much and most often bake it whole, then keep on finishing it in stir-fries or as cold snacks (my husband is not a fan, which means a whole head for me!!!),but I’ve never tried shredding it into “rice”. It looks fabulous and I’m convinced it tastes wonderful too, so I must try one day (actually I bought a cauliflower today!). I love the sunny colour too.
What a beautiful dish and perfect for the holidays!! I’m saving this for our next holiday meal. Bobby and I have never been big cauliflower fans unless it’s cut into small pieces. Therefore, the fact that you riced it sounds very appealing and then your seasoning and complementary ingredients make this dish a real keeper. I will be trying this! Thanks!
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hi Kelly, how have you been? =)
That’s a veggie dish I could make frequently at home. I am in love with cauliflower and as you mentioned it, as a child one doesn’t value these veggies. But these days with spices… that’s the perfect combination of flavors. Saved it for later, I will need it soon.
Spotted this treasure on Foodgawker and had to come over. What a beautiful dish – love the colors and imagining the amazing flavors. I’ve had my Thanksgiving desserts picked out for weeks but should really start thinking about rounding things out with a healthy dish or two :) Happy to discover you!
haha, thank you for the smile Ana – I know what you mean… sometimes picking out the ornaments is more fun than the tree ;o) I’m glad the recipe caught your eye and I hope you love it if you give it a try.
I love cauliflower rice, Kelly. I use it all the time. I cheat and by the pre chopped bags from Trader Joes and I add it to stir fries, smoothies, salads, etc… But I love that you have a real recipe featuring the cauliflower rice. The curry flavoring and additional veggies make this look so delicious and healthy – my kind of dish! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
oh fun, so does TJ’s offer the florets or the actual cauli rice? I’m heading there this morning so I’ll check it out – one of my favorite stops :)) Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Geraldine, enjoy.
Haha, love your intro.. so true, an unlikely success story :) but wow, this looks so good Kelly. Such warming flavors and beautiful appearance (leave it to you to make pulverized cauliflower look like a work of art!) can’t wait to give this experiment a try. Always like trying new things and this one sounds very manageable.
thank you for the kind words and the smile :) let me know how it goes if you give it a try and yes, i’s super easy! (you know my style by now :D) happy Sunday!
Gorgeous! I’m late to the cauliflower craze and this dish is calling my name. Love your Indian inspired version and the idea of adding chickpeas to make it into a main dish (I’m not familiar with paneer but will look into it). I think this flavorful plate would go over very well with our guests, both vegetarian and not. Thank you!
have fun with it Mia! it’s really hard to go wrong my biggest caution would be to avoid over pulsing and emersing the cauli in water prior to processing – this avoids the mush factor; otherwise, it’s really straightforward, quick and a really nice way to prepare a light and nutritious side. I agree, this is a dish for everyone.
There are several local restaurants offering their own tasty versions of cauliflower dishes these days. Cauliflower wings are the new sweet potato fries!
Gorgeous platter, Kelly.
yes, exactly, the vegetable forward eateries are loving it; it keeps popping up all gourmet-afied :)
This looks so yummy, nicely presented! We love Indian flavors. I like the idea of using cauliflower too. A must try :)
it’s a fun one to add to the rotation and definitely worth a try; the spices absorb beautifully into the cauli too; I hope you enjoy it!
I love cauli-rice and have a nice collection of recipes, yours go to the top of the list now…. I am intrigued by Eva’s suggestion of coconut flour, will try that.
As to grating the cauli and storing, I ve been sticking it in a zip lock type bag, laying it flat and freezing it. It makes it so convenient, it thaws quickly that way and in 10 min off the freezer I can start sauteeing or roasting it….
great idea to store in the freezer for convenience and anti-stink factor. Storing the cauli rice fresh/raw in the fridge will send even the most tolerant running ;o
What a beautiful dish. I love that you added pomegranate seeds to it. Our last progressive dinner had pomegranate as the theme!
I have always loved cauliflower but the last few years have seen me having it in the most unusual ways, such as cauliflower fried rice. I usually add about a 1/4 cup of coconut flour to the mix to help dry it out (coconut flour has the unique capacity to suck liquid out of anything!) which helps with the ‘rice’ factor. I’m quite interested in the cauliflower noodles, the lasagna looks awesome.
Hi Eva, I’m looking forward to hearing more about your progressive dinner; I hope you post about it. I’ve used coconut flour and almond flour with cauliflower crust (for pizza) but have not yet tried it in rice — in the quantity you mention it sounds like it would not be pasty – I’ll have to give it a try! Mike, over at the Iron You, is a cauliflower master – one of my favorite sites for delicious, straight-forward easy on the carbs meal inspiration too! enjoy, x.