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Curried Cauliflower Fried Rice

A clever and nutritious vegetarian recipe that flips the classic fried rice formula on its head by using aromatic Middle Eastern flavors. {Jump to Recipe}

Curried Cauliflower Fried Rice // FoodNouveau.com

Fried rice is a dish that, in my mind, is usually bound to Asian flavors. In the past, I’ve regularly made variations of fried rice, but now I do it even more frequently as my toddler boy loves it too. Fried rice is a great weeknight, family-friendly dish, not only because it’s quick and easy to make but also because it makes great use of leftovers: just chop up leftover veggies and meat (or tofu), drizzle in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, crack an egg in to bind it all together, and you’ve got a delightful meal you can eat with a spoon. Who doesn’t like that?

It’s probably because I could make fried rice with my eyes closed that one of the recipes in the new and gorgeous The Love & Lemons Cookbook jumped out at me. Jeanine, the recipe creator in the Love & Lemons duo, flips the classic formula on its head and makes fried rice with ingredients and flavors you would usually associate with Middle Eastern cuisine: chick peas, raisins, turmeric, cardamom, and yogurt, to name a few. The use of coconut oil and milk make the dish extra aromatic, while the addition of cashew nuts boosts the protein content. But the recipe’s truly genius idea—one I will probably reuse in all my future fried rice renditions, whatever the variation—is to use a 2-to-1 chopped cauliflower-to-rice ratio. Using cauliflower as a substitute for rice is a popular trick, and this recipe makes an especially clever use of it: combining cauliflower and rice provides the best of both worlds texture-wise.

Fried rice is best made with leftover rice—that is, rice that has been cooked and cooled. I like to use brown basmati rice because it’s much more nutritious, fiber-rich, and flavorful. To save time, I make a large batch and freeze it in portions so I always have the option of making last-minute fried rice for dinner. This recipe can be a meal on its own, but I like to boost its protein content: diced tofu, leftover roasted chicken, sautéed shrimp, or a hard- or soft-boiled egg are all tasty toppings. You could even turn this dish into a sandwich: spread some yogurt inside the pocket of a pita bread, add a generous serving of fried rice, top with any protein and some leafy greens (if desired), and enjoy!

 

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Makes 4 main course servings.

Curried Cauliflower Fried Rice

10 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

20 minTotal Time

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INGREDIENTS

For the cauliflower fried rice
1½ cups [375 ml] cooked brown basmati rice (or regular basmati rice)
1 tbsp [15 ml] coconut oil (or peanut, or canola oil)
1 small onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
3 cups [750 ml] cauliflower, florets and stalk, chopped into small pieces (about ½ head)
1/3 cup [75 ml] unsalted cashews
½ cup [125 ml] cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp [5 ml] curry powder
½ tsp [2 ml] turmeric
¼ tsp [1 ml] red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, chopped
¾ cup [175 ml] canned full-fat or light coconut milk (make sure to vigorously shake the can before opening it and measuring out the milk)
1 tbsp [15 ml] freshly squeezed lime juice (from about ½ lime)
¼ cup [60 ml] golden raisins
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cardamom yogurt sauce
½ cup [125 ml] Greek yogourt
1 tbsp [15 ml] freshly squeezed lime juice (from about ½ lime)
¼ tsp [1 ml] ground cardamom
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

To make the cardamom yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, cardamom, a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

To make the cauliflower fried rice: In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cauliflower, a pinch of kosher salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cashews and chickpeas and cook until both are lightly browned, 5 minutes more.

Add the curry powder, turmeric, red pepper flakes (if using), and green onions. Stir and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat and add ½ cup [125 ml] of the coconut milk. Add the lime juice, golden raisins, and another pinch of kosher salt. Add the cooked rice and stir to incorporate, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining ¼ cup [60 ml] coconut milk and stir in the coriander. Season to taste.

SERVING: Serve in individual bowls, topped with the cardamom yogurt sauce.

STORAGE: Store leftover cauliflower fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Recipe Credit: Adapted from Jeanine Donofrio, The Love & Lemons Cookbook.

https://foodnouveau.com/recipes/vegetarian/curried-cauliflower-fried-rice/

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Book Giveaway: The Love & Lemons Cookbook // FoodNouveau.com

The Love & Lemons Cookbook is one of my current favorite cookbooks: it’s gorgeously designed and filled with unfussy but flavorful produce-based recipes. The chapters are cleverly separated by fruits and vegetables, which makes it easy to use year-round. For the past couple of months, I’ve been cooking from the book based on what’s on season at the market: I come back with my fresh loot, flip to the corresponding chapter, and make dinner. Easy! I love everything about this book—and the fact that it contains many taco recipes doesn’t hurt either. (The authors live in Austin, Texas.)

I think you’ll love this colorful book just as much as I do, so here goes:

How to Win
The giveaway is over. Thanks for your interest!

Here’s how to win a copy of The Love & Lemons Cookbook: An Apple-to-Zucchini Celebration of Impromptu Cooking.

  • Mandatory: Share what’s your favorite fruit or vegetable, and tell us what’s your favorite dish that uses it.
  • Optional: Take advantage of all the social media options in the Rafflecopter widget below to get more chances to win. When entering through social media, make sure I can recognize your name/address so I can reach you if you win. 

The Fine Print

  • You must be a U.S. or Canadian resident to win (or provide a U.S. or Canadian mailing address).
  • Each winner needs to answer a simple skill question to get the prizes.
  • The giveaway ends Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at midnight EST.

Good luck to everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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38 Responses to Curried Cauliflower Fried Rice

  1. That question is quite hard to narrow down to a single fruit or veggie, but I’d say tomatoes are pretty pretty much the baddasses at the top of my list. I’m mean, you turn them into a magnificent sauce for a pizza pie or fresh pastas, they are excellent in cake too (yep, my mom’s quite good to make tasty fruit/veggie cake). In their natural presentation, you can find them sweet or acidic, crisp or tender, round or long, plus they come in a variety of colors and shape. Oh, and dehydrated ones are so. damn. good. Ahhh, tomatoes. One true love!

  3. Mango for me! I love it in salads (sweet or savoury!), drinks and definitely by itself :)

  4. It’s tough to choose only one, but i would go with tomato. And my favourite way of eating it with stir fried with eggs, Taiwanese style. So tasty!

  8. What a gorgeous recipe – and stunning photos!

    Favorite veg or fruit. Hard questions are hard. You know, I have to just go ahead and admit it: I love asparagus, and in it’s simplest form – drizzled with a bit of olive oil, topped with some kosher salt + cracked black pepper, then roasted or grilled. To me, it’s just perfect like that.

  11. Love lemons… in sweet (lemon loaf) in savory (lemon chicken) or liquid form (limoncello) ! Thanks for the opportunity :)

  12. I love onions…caramelized, charred, fried. I especially like them when they’re stuffed with Italian sausage and provolone and then topped with panko and baked.

  13. That’s such a tough question! Right now I’m craving watermelon, specifically in a watermelon & feta salad with lime juice, kalamata olives, flat-leaf parsley. It’s my fave summer salad. I could eat it every day and never get bored. In the winter, I love roasted cauliflower (or cauliflower any which way), so I bet I’d LOVE this. I’m a huge fan of the blog Love & Lemons. I’m quite excited about the book and I’ve heard nothing but good things!

    • Oh YUM! That salad sounds amazing, and so summery indeed! Just jotted it down in my notebook. I’ll think of you when I enjoy a bowl of that salad with a glass of rosé!

  14. Lemons, actually! I have a lemon tree and so, have lots of lemons. I use them in so many ways such as lemonade and lemon ice but also preserved lemons. Maybe my favorite recipe is a lemony spaghetti recipe from the NYT. You fry lemon slices from 1 lemon and use the juice from another. It’s easy and delicious!

  15. Lemons are my favourite, I use them in almost everything, but lemon squares are my biggest weakness. I just can’t resist ’em!

  18. Oh man, so many wonderful fruits and veggies to choose from! Currently, we’re loving roasted broccoli, tossed with a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sprinkled with goat cheese and nuts/seeds, it makes for the start of a great salad!

  19. Love “Love and Lemons”! And I would love the cookbook! My favorite fruit is strawberry and I make a beautiful very italian strawberry tiramisu. You cauliflower fried rice is so beautiful and delicious! Will try it!

  21. Lovely post! I’ve been going through a fennel phase lately – I really love it raw in a slaw with oranges, olive oil and champagne vinegar.

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