Indian Cauliflower Rice

This curry-flavored Indian Cauliflower Rice is packed with warm spices including mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili, and coriander. It's a quick and easy low-carb, keto and vegan side dish that's ready in under 10 minutes and is the perfect accompaniment for lentils, curries, or grilled meats!

Serve this turmeric cauliflower rice with vegetable korma, butter paneer, or chicken tikka masala, and enjoy a low-carb Indian feast, without any guilt!

I love cauliflower for many reasons. Not only is it a staple ingredient in many of my Indian dishes such as Aloo Gobi, Vegetable Korma, and Tandoori Cauliflower, but it also comes with a number of added health benefits.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that's high in fiber, rich in vitamins C, E, K, fiber, and folate. It also makes for a low-calorie and low-carb side dish, that keeps you full for longer.

My hubby and I are no strangers to the sweeping cauliflower rice food trend. Although I love a starchy side of homemade basmati rice, swapping it out for cauliflower rice is a healthier, low-carb option for my prediabetic diet.

Calories and Carbs comparison: One cup of cauliflower rice has 25 calories and 5 grams of carbs, as compared to one cup of brown rice which has 216 calories and 46 grams of carbs.

This Indian style cauliflower rice is a low-carb, keto-friendly, and vegan side dish that's on rotation in my home.

During my weekend meal prep, I make fresh cauliflower rice at home in my food processor using this easy recipe: Cauliflower Rice from Scratch.

But on weeknights, nothing beats the convenice of frozen cauliflower rice, that's easily accessible from my local Trader Joe's or whole foods. I always keep a few bags handy in my freezer.

Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions

This Indian keto cauliflower rice recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients in addition to cauliflower. Let's take a look at what we need:

Spices & Flavorings: Black mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder (or cayenne - if you like it spicy!), and ground coriander flavor this rice beautifully.

Garnish: A gently squeeze of lime and fresh chopped cilantro adds a fresh, vibrant finish to this dish.

Cauliflower rice: There are multiple options when it comes to cauliflower rice. You can make it at home or buy it from the store. Let's take a look at all options in detail: What Kind Of Cauliflower Rice Should I Use?

• Fresh: Make your own by grating a whole head of cauliflower cut into large chunks on the medium-sized holes of a box grater, or using the grater attachment of your food processor. You will need ½ head of cauliflower for this recipe. Here's a detailed recipe: How to Make Cauliflower Rice from Scratch
• Pre-Chopped Vegetable Section: Purchase a 12-oz container of "riced" cauliflower in the produce department. Trader Joe's, Green Giant and a few smaller grocers sell never frozen cauliflower rice you can find in their produce section.
• Frozen: Purchase a 12-oz bag of frozen cauliflower rice in the freezer section of your local grocery store. I love and buy Trader Joe's, Whole Foods 365, Bird's Eye, Green Giant and Cascadian Farms brands.

How To Make Indian Cauli Rice

This Indian-style cauliflower rice is made in a few easy steps on your stovetop in under 10 minutes!

1. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and mustard seeds. (Pic 1)
2. When mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cauliflower rice. No need to thaw if using frozen. (Pics 2). Saute 2-3 minutes, or until the moisture from the cauliflower rice dries out.
3. Add salt and spices and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until it reaches your desired doneness (see notes about texture). (Pic 3)
4. Remove from heat. Lightly squeeze lime and garnish with fresh cilantro. (Pic 4)

How to Use Cauliflower Rice

Although I love this curry cauliflower rice recipe, if you're looking for more ways to introduce the low-carb (and keto) cauliflower rice into your cooking regimen (and eat more veggies!), you can:

• Substitute white or brown rice with an equal amount of cauliflower rice in soups and stir-frys!
• Add a handful of cauliflower rice to your burgers, Keema curry or pasta sauces. It practically disappears in the mix and you cannot taste it.
• Make a cauliflower crust pizza to satisfy those carb cravings!

Serving Suggestions

This spiced cauliflower rice is flavored with warm Indian spices, so any Indian themed entree, such as dal, curry, grilled chicken, meat or fish is a wonderful accompaniment.

For a vegetarian option, try serving this with Chana Masala, Rajma, Dal Makhani, Dal Tadka or Chana Dal instead.

Hubs and I often like to use it as our low-carb rice side dish for lamb, fish, chicken, goat or a mix of chicken, Paneer and veggie curries, too! Most Indian curries go really well with this cauli rice recipe.

Variations for Cauliflower Rice Recipes

There are many ways to evolve this curry cauliflower rice into your own. To make a number of different cauliflower rice recipes, simply:

• Coconut Flavor: Stir in 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut at the very end for a coconut flavor.
• Mediterranean Flavor: Add a pinch of cinnamon to give a touch of sweetness, and pair it with Mediterranean entrees.
• Make a Pilaf: Transform it into a rice pilaf with a handful of raisins and toasted cashews.
• Add protein: Keep it vegan and up the protein by adding some oven-roasted chickpeas.

Recipe Tips

• Grate your own cauliflower with a box grater or food processor! You will only need ½ head of cauliflower for this recipe, but feel free to grate the entire head and freeze the remainder in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If desired, squeeze out excess water from freshly riced cauliflower with a clean, kitchen towel.
• Alternatively, you can purchase pre-chopped or frozen cauliflower rice. If using frozen cauliflower rice, there is no need to thaw!
• The cauliflower will release moisture while you saute it on the stovetop. Allow it to cook until all the moisture is gone, then cook to your desired tenderness. I reached mine after 3-4 minutes of sauteing once the moisture evaporated.
• End texture: This recipe results in a slight el-dente texture of Cauli Rice, which mimics the texture of steamed rice. You can adjust that based on how cooked, or 'soft' you like it.

Popular Cauliflower Recipes on the Blog

These recipes are part of the Low Carb Recipes and Low Carb Indian Recipes collection:

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📖 Recipe

Indian Cauliflower Rice

Aneesha Gupta

This curry flavored Indian Cauliflower Rice is packed with warm spices. It's a low-carb, keto and vegan side dish that's ready in under 10 minutes!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 1 min

Cook Time 8 mins

Total Time 9 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Calories 56 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Frying Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 12 oz cauliflower rice frozen or fresh
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or cayenne)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander

For Finishing

• ▢ Squeeze of lime
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begins to splutter, add the cauliflower rice. If using frozen, no need to thaw, just add to the pan.
• Saute 2-3 minutes till the moisture from the cauli rice dries out. Add salt and spices and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until it reaches your desired doneness.
• Turn off the heat. Lightly squeeze lime and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl to stop the cooking. Enjoy as a low-carb/keto side.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• Grate your own cauliflower with a box grater or food processor! You will only need ½ head of cauliflower for this recipe, but feel free to grate the entire head and freeze the remainder in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If desired, squeeze out excess water from freshly riced cauliflower with a clean, kitchen towel.
• Alternatively, you can purchase pre-chopped or frozen cauliflower rice. If using frozen cauliflower rice, there is no need to thaw!
• The cauliflower will release moisture while you saute it on the stovetop. Allow it to cook until all the moisture is gone, then cook to your desired tenderness. I reached mine after 3-4 minutes of sautéing once the moisture evaporated.
• End texture: This recipe results in a slight el-dente texture of Cauli Rice, which mimics the texture of steamed rice. You can adjust that based on how cooked, or 'soft' you like it.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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