Hey guys! On the hunt for a healthy mid-week recipe? Look no further than this Cauliflower ‘Rice’ Pilaf.
After a weekend of overindulging, there’s nothing better than filling your fridge with healthy ingredients (plus, your body weight in dark chocolate) and planning out a few delicious meals at home. And as you guys know I’m a big fan of lots of spicy flavors and warming spices like chili and turmeric… Enter, this cauliflower ‘rice’ pilaf. Although I’m sure you get it, I’m using the ” because the rice is cauliflower, a swap you’ve no doubt encountered by now. If not it is definitely time!
In case you’re slightly dubious of the whole cauliflower rice business, I had to admit I was too initially. But in the last few years (and particularly since my healthy reboot) I’ve got on board with so many different healthy ingredient swaps, and so long as you add enough flavor and spice you’ll find they can be delicious and nutritious… A warning though, much the same as raw carrot cake isn’t really carrot cake at all (but still yummy!), rather than it being a case of ‘I can’t even tell this isn’t rice’ it’s more like ‘I can tell this isn’t rice and I prefer it!’. Try it and let me know whether you agree.
Cauliflower Rice Pilaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup of almonds
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- 2 tablespoons of butter, coconut oil or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coriander freshly chopped
- 1/2 cup of pomegranate
Method
Making your ‘rice’.
It’s so easy to make cauliflower rice! You can either do this by hand using a grater or do it in your food processor. I prefer to use a food processor as it is much quicker but both ways work. Having done this process a few times, I would suggest that you don’t make your rice too fine, because if it’s too fine it may go soggy when you cook it. If you are using a food processor, the best approach is to do small batches so that the cauliflower on the bottom doesn’t turn into mushy fine grains.
Cooking
- In a large frypan, heat your butter/oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Then, add your spices and salt and let them cook off.
- Add the cauliflower rice and stir until well coated with seasoning.
- 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.
- Once almost done, add the raisins and chopped nuts and let them cook a little bit.
- Add the chopped coriander and pomegranate, and a drizzle of yogurt. Bon appetit!
Ben and I often make some marinated lamb to go with this dish, in fact, it’s a great side dish for lots of different meals including fish or chickem. You can also easily freeze any you have remaining so you can eat it the next time you’re too lazy to get serious in the kitchen. Enjoy!
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