Cauliflower Rice

When I first heard of Cauliflower Rice, I thought it would be a disappointing fad – much like Squash Spaghetti (which is truly terrible, in my humble opinion). After trialling a few different methods, I was pleasantly surprised, and now Cauliflower Rice is a staple in my home.

One of the great things about Cauliflower Rice is it goes with almost everything. It also takes on flavours well, so you can have it plain or cooked in herbs and spices to accompany whatever you’re pairing it with.

Another great thing about it, is it keeps for about a week in the fridge - making it a great instant weeknight accompaniment. I don’t know about you guys, but after a long day at work, I love dinners that practically make themselves. I also like trying to eat relatively clean during the week, so having Cauliflower Rice on hand is perfect to chuck with a curry or toss through a salad.

Now – this recipe has a few added extras which you do not need to include (or could easily swap out for different flavours). I’ve also heard of people blanching Cauliflower Rice, but - like with most things – I believe it is best fried.

Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

1/2 head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch of parsley (optional)
1 red onion (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place a pan on the stove over a low/medium heat and add the olive oil. I find a wok or a pan with a large surface area works best for this.

Finely dice the onion and the parsley stalks before adding to the pan. Turn the heat down to low and slowly start to sweat the onions – to sweat something means to cook it long and slow on a low heat. You’ll know the onions are ready once they go beautifully translucent.

Roughly dice the cauliflower and add to a food processor. Blitz the cauliflower until it has been chopped into fine, rice- like pieces. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in batches.

Add the cauliflower to the hot pan as well as salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together before covering with a lid. By covering it with a lid, the cauliflower will steam and fry at the same time – speeding up the cooking time. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on, only removing the lid to stir every 2-3 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and stir again, ensuring everything cooks evenly. Cook for a further 5 minutes without the lid before removing from the heat. If the Cauliflower Rice has started to brown in places, this is fine – it will add a slightly nutty flavour to the dish.

Finely dice the parsley and mix through before serving.

I love this with everything from Meat Sauce to Green Curry or a simple Korma. In summer, I’ll also toss it through salmon and avocado for an instant lunch.