The leftovers keep well for several days in the fridge, and you can also freeze them and reheat them directly from their frozen state. I’ve been making this delicious side dish at least once a week over the past ten years. It amazes me how well it works as a substitute for white rice! It’s not just delicious, but also very similar in its mouthfeel and texture to the real thing. Even my kids are happy to eat this dish - especially when I use it as a bed for saucy main dishes such as butter chicken.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients needed to make this tasty side dish is delightfully short. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Fresh cauliflower: You can use a whole head or buy pre-washed florets.Oil: Either a neutral-tasting avocado oil or flavorful extra-virgin olive oil. Butter is also an option.Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work, although freshly minced garlic does taste better.
Instructions
This is such an easy recipe! The detailed instructions for making cauliflower rice are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Process the cauliflower in your food processor into tiny “grains.“Saute it in some oil until it’s tender, but not mushy.Add a little salt, pepper, and garlic. That’s it!
Expert tip
Try not to overcook the cauliflower. You don’t want it to be raw, but you want it to still have a “bite.” You don’t want it mushy. So make sure to remove it from the heat as soon as it’s no longer raw.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
In the basic recipe, used as a bed for stir-frys and sauce dishes, I use neutral-tasting avocado oil and add just salt, pepper, and garlic. This basic recipe is actually very tasty, so you can also simply serve it as a side dish, just as it is. But if you do make it as a side dish, and not as a bed for saucy main courses, it doesn’t have to be neutral-tasting. In this case, by all means, go ahead and make it more interesting! You can, for example, cook the cauliflower in flavorful olive oil instead of avocado oil. Or you can cook it in butter, and when it’s done, take it off the heat. Then mix in 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and perhaps a pinch of dried thyme. This is actually one of my favorite ways of making this side dish. And yet another great variation is to make cauliflower fried rice.
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 3 days. It goes well with stir-fry dishes such as steak stir-fry, shrimp stir-fry, and chicken stir-fry. It also goes well with saucy dishes such as:
Meatballs with tomato sauceChicken currySloppy joesGoulash
Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power to ensure even heating. You can also successfully freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
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