Moroccan-style Cauliflower Rice

Moroccan Cauliflower Rice

 

This recipe comes from my "Whole 30 Cookbook".  The Cauliflower Rice recipe in the book is for a rather plain version of cauliflower rice, but the recipe also includes options for a Moroccan-style cauliflower rice or an Asian-style cauliflower rice.  I went for the Moroccan-style since it sounded exotic and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Never heard of cauliflower rice?!? Yes, it's a thing! Basically you pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until the cauliflower resembles rice. 

Don't have a food processor?!?  No worries. You can buy cauliflower already "riced" up for you in a bag in your produce section where you find bagged and prewashed salads.  Pretty cool, right?!?  You can also rice cauliflower using a box grater to shred the cauliflower but that sounds like a time consuming task.

Also, I highly recommend you add nuts to this recipe as is specified below.  I had my first serving of the dish and it felt like I forgot something. Yes, I forgot to add nuts!  I toasted raw whole almonds in a dry skillet on the stove top and then chopped them up using my Pampered Chef food chopper. The added texture from the toasted nuts really adds a lot.

Moroccan-style Cauliflower Fried Rice

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter (I used coconut oil)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds or finely chopped almonds, toasted (pine nuts can also be used)

To "rice" the cauliflower rice, place half of the florets in a food processor and pulse into a rice-like consistency, 15 to 20 pulses.  Don't over crowd the cauliflower in the food processor and don't over pulse or the florets will get mushy.)  Repeat to rice the remaining florets.

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot, and cook, stirring frequently until the onion is translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the garlic, raisins, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, and cook an additional minute.

Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and mix thoroughly.  Add in the broth or water, cover the pan with a lid, and steam for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to saute the rice for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until you've arrived at a rice-like consistency. The cauliflower should be tender, but not mushy or wet.

Remove pan from the heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.