If I told you that you could have a savory rice pilaf with no carbs, would you be interested? If you could have all the flavor and none of the guilt, would you want to know more? My curried cauliflower “rice” pilaf is easy to make with so much flavor, you’ll forget it’s good for you.
There are at least a few family members and friends who would lean in for that secret. If you’re one of them, listen up — this is the holy grail of healthy rice pilaf! Curried Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf.
The “rice” in this case, is actually cauliflower. Yep, a vegetable! It’s super-easy to make and it’s full of flavor! Pinky promise! All you need to achieve these rice-like grains is a box grater — or if you’re lazy, like me, use the grater attachment on your food processor. Avoid putting it directly into bowl of the processor to chop, because it can get too fine – and you want a little texture. {Update: I’ve recently found cauliflower rice at Trader Joe’s!}
If the raisins seem dry, plump them in a little warm broth or water. When I cook a regular rice pilaf, I add the raisins in with the liquid and they automatically plump.
But if you add liquid to the cauliflower, it will turn to mush very quickly (and we don’t like mush). To avoid that, and still have juicy raisins, I plump them before adding them into the dish.
Saute the onions in olive oil and add the curry and turmeric. Stir over the heat until it takes on that yellow hue and becomes fragrant, then add the grated cauliflower. Pay attention, stirring frequently and moderate your heat if you start to get hot spots or crustiness. If you have to add a little extra olive oil (1-2 teaspoons) for a little more moisture while your cooking, that’s ok. Also, if you cover the pan for a minute or so, it will help to lightly steam the vegetable without making it too soft. The cauliflower will take on that gorgeous golden color and the curry smells phenomenal.
Add the raisins, almonds and chopped cilantro and serve! It’s great with grilled chicken, fish, or pork!
When I brought this to the table the first time, both Scott and Emily helped themselves without even doing a double take. They assumed it was rice.
When I shared the secret, they were surprised and impressed. Scott kept saying, “if you hadn’t told me this was cauliflower, I would have sworn it was rice!” And he helped himself to seconds…
More healthy side dish recipes:
- Snow Peas with Garlic and Ginger
- Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
- Grated Cucumber Salad
- Oven Roasted Fall Vegetables
- Blanched Kale with Walnuts and Raisins
- Crunchy Brussel Fennel Apple Slaw
- Lemon Garlic Green Beans
Curried Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ head cauliflower
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons almonds toasted sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro freshly chopped
Special Equipment
- Food processor with a shredder attachment or box grater
DIRECTIONS:
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and transfer them into the grater tube of your food processor or use the large holes on a box grater to shred the florets. Set aside.
- Add the broth (or water) to a small bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave. Add the raisins to the broth and set aside to plump.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, curry powder and salt. Add the cauliflower rice and remaining olive oil and stir until well coated. Turn the heat down to a medium low and cover tightly with a lid. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring every minute or so to prevent browning or sticking. Remove from heat.
- Drain the raisins and add them into the cauliflower mixture. Sprinkle on the toasted almonds and cilantro and serve.
NUTRITION:
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Excellent recipe, so easy! Thank you for bringing this is into my life Mmmmm yummers!
You mentioned buying riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s – do you use one package in this recipe? I get mine at Aldi (frozen) and those are 12 oz. Would that work?
Yes, that would be perfect.