Indian Spiced Cauliflower "Rice"

Indian Spiced Cauliflower "Rice" with Cilantro & Plain Yogurt

So I found an interesting Recipe called: "fragrant indian cauliflower couscous" in Weissman's The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook that I wanted to try.  I grabbed my large head of Cauliflower at the store and headed home with this in mind, but then realized later that I didn't have all the ingredients (no cloves, no fish sauce, no cardamom pods), so I created my own version of the dish with what I had in the pantry already, and it came out GREAT!   A wonderful balance of spicy, sweet, savory and crunchy, all cooled with a little yogurt and Avocado; a totally satisfying meal, and likely a new fav in the rotation here.

I used an old fav spice blend that also happens to make great Indian Spiced Shrimp Tacos!So this dish is a mélange of the Paleo recipe, Alamelu's inspired Indian spice mix, and a little North African flavoring which I couldn't resist adding while cooking it all up.  Here is what I did:


Amy's Indian Spiced Cauliflower "Rice" Recipe

Heat Dutch Oven over medium flame. 

In a small bowl make the Alamelu inspired Indian Spice Mix:  1 tsp each:  Ginger, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Cumin, Cayenne (less Cayenne if you want less heat) AND 1/2 tsp each: Salt, Cinnamon.  Mix and set aside.

Then to heated pot add 1 Tbsp EVOO and 1 cup chopped red onion.  Sauté for a couple minutes, then add 4 large cloves Garlic, chopped.  Stir until fragrant, then add the spice mix.

 

Continue stirring for a minute or two to infuse the oil and onion with the spice flavors, then add roughly 5 cups of Cauliflower "Rice"*, making sure to incorporate all the spices into the Cauliflower.  Then add the juice of 1 Lime, 1 handful of Sultan Raisins, and 1 handful of toasted slivered Almonds. 

Deglaze pan with 1 cup of Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more if necessary), then add 1 large Zucchini, diced; 1 cup frozen Peas, and 1 handful of freshly chopped Cilantro.  Mix and raise heat to boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Serve topped with more fresh chopped Cilantro, Plain Yogurt and of course, I added some fresh sliced Avocado onto mine.



Indian Spiced Cauliflower "Rice"

 

*Cauliflower "Rice" is easily made by chopping fresh Cauliflower into bite size pieces and then pulsing in your food processor until a "rice-like" consistency is formed.

 

 

Incidentally, Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and great for people suffering from Arthritis.  In fact I remember reading that India, a country known for using a lot of Turmeric in their cooking, has among the lowest levels of Arthritis in the world!  Turmeric has many health benefits, and this article listing 20 Health Benefits to Turmeric even claims "When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer"!