Indian Cauliflower Rice with Spinach

Fresh, vegetarian, and healthy!  When I first saw a recipe on Food and Wine for Indian Cumin Rice, I knew I had to try with riced cauliflower instead. Cauliflower, either run thru a blender or grated into rice size bites with a grater, make an excellent substitute for regular rice.  It’s lighter, healthier, and very adaptable in so many dishes.  It works wonderfully in Fried Rice  and in Spanish Rice, so why not with an Indian flair.

It came out delicious.  As a matter of fact, it is one of my new favorites. I love the flavor the cumin and the turmeric bring.  I made a few other changes to the recipe, including using coconut oil instead of olive oil.  While you can’t taste the coconut, the flavor gives it enhance the flavor somehow.

The dish is cooked in one pan, which makes for easier clean up, and it only takes minutes to cook.

So if you are looking for a last minute lunch or dinner give this a try.

Since I like to use cauliflower in all kinds of dishes, I usually prep the entire head when I bring it home from the store.  For this full recipe, it took nearly the complete cauliflower to make 4 cups.  To make it easy, I suggest you use a Ninja Master Prep Professional.  Even doing small batches at a time, the whole head only took a couple of minutes to rice.  You can do this ahead of time, even a day or two if you want to.  It keeps surprisingly well once prepped.

Save Print

Indian Cumin Cauliflower Rice with Spinach

Rating  5 from 1 reviews

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  20 mins

Serves: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon virgin, organic, cold pressed coconut oil
• 1 shallot or 2 green onions
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 tablespoon ginger (optional)
• 4 cups riced cauliflower (about 1 head)
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1 14.5 ounce can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed
• Sea salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet.
2. Add the onion and ginger if you are using, and cook on medium for 2 minutes.
3. Add the riced cauliflower and saute 2 minutes.
4. Add the cumin, turmeric, garbanzo beans, and spinach.
5. Stir often, cooking until spinach is wilted, between 2 and 3 minutes.
6. Serve hot, with salt, pepper, and lemons slices.

3.3.2998

The second item is a big, effective skillet like this one.  I like calphalon because it’s heavy and thick for more even cooking.  It cleans up so easily, and it lasts for years and years.  Mine like this one looks like new still well over 10 years old.  I love the size and depth of this one.  It should hold everything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Mystery Suspense Reviews .