Masala Cauli-Fried Rice
Serves 2-4 (depending if it’s a side or full meal)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons ghee/oil of choice
1 medium cauliflower head, grated (about 4 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves of garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 whole jalapeno, seeded and diced or 1/4 cup diced green pepper*
2 medium sized carrots, diced (about 1 cup)r 1/4 cup diced green pepper*
1/2 cup chopped asparagus
10 sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup green onions or chives chopped
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons Kashmir Garam Masala**
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated ( about 1-2 teaspoons)
1/2-1 teaspoon coarse sea salt plus more to taste (will vary if the masala powder is salted or not)
Cracked peppercorns to tasteTry adding diced roasted chicken to make this a protein rich meal instead of a side.
Garnishes: lime wedges & a handful of cilantro and/or chopped basil
** Kashmir Garam Masala sources: make your own, Frontier
and my favorite, Urban Accents
Method:
1.Grate the cauliflower with a hand grater or with a grating blade on a food processor. You can also use the regular blade on the food processor but I find this results in a wetter, less “rice-like” product.
Prep the rest of the ingredients as listed above.
2.Mix together the spices and ginger in another small bowl and set aside.
3.Heat a wok over high medium/high heat (on the “high” side), add 1 tablespoon of the oil/ghee then add the cauliflower. Toss it in the oil then spread it out in a thin layer as evenly as possible. Turn the burner up to high. Allow cauliflower to fry till it starts to brown a little then stir/flip it around, again spreading it in a thin layer. Do this a couple of times till the cauliflower starts to get brown and black flecks all over it, almost like it has been grilled. Transfer to a large bowl and place the wok back on the heat, turning the heat back down to medium/high.
Note: Spreading out the cauliflower and cooking it at a high heat like this keeps the cauliflower from steaming itself and getting soggy, and produces a very “rice-like” texture.
4. Add another tablespoon of oil/ghee to the wok, then add the onion, garlic and jalapeño/green pepper to the oil. Cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
Add the carrots and asparagus to the wok and cook the mixture until the carrots are cooked through. Remember to keep spreading out the mixture and allowing it to fry and brown. Stir & toss often till the veggies are cooked through and browned slightly. Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower.
5. Return the wok to the heat and add the last tablespoon of oil plus the spice mixture and the ginger.
6. Fry in the oil for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Stir often so the spices do not burn.
7. Now toss everything back into the wok including the tomatoes and green onions. Coat evenly with the spices. Continue to cook the whole mixture on high far about 2-3 more minutes to allow the flavors to blend and the “rice” to brown a little more
Serve with a wedge of lime, to be squeezed on top of the “rice” just before serving and some cilantro and/or basil
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I’ve been searching for recipes to make my boyfriend eat rice and am feeling very optimistic about this 🙂 🙂
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I have made this recipe over and over, it is my go-to favourite recipe for a veggie side dish. The only change I make is I don’t rice the cauliflower anymore, just break it up into small pieces, and at the end I stir in a big dollup of full fat coconut milk. thank you for the wonderful recipe!
OK, I will do this recipe today. Lovely.