Cauliflower and Egg Sabzi (Bhaji) | Easy Low Carb Indian Side Dish
Cauliflower and Egg Sabzi (bhaji) has been a long standing family favourite side dish for curry and is well suited to soak up all that succulent curry gravy. Made from riced/grated cauliflower, a few Indian spices, and egg, this one pan Indian side dish is beyond simple and full of amazing authentic flavours.
With only 7.8g of net carbs this simple vegetarian Indian side dish is healthy and keto friendly.
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Why You’ll Love Cauliflower and Egg Sabzi
- Easy to make and uses only a single pan, just toss everything in and let it cook.
- A low carb vegetarian side dish with extra protein from the eggs.
- Cauliflower Sabzi takes only 30 minutes to make and is the perfect low carb Indian side dish for curry and kebab.
- A tried and true family recipe that is many decades older than all of us.
What is Cauliflower and Egg Sabzi?
Sabzi, sometimes referred to as bhaji, or subji means “vegetables or vegetable dish” in Indian cuisine. This Cauliflower sabzi is a simple recipe of pan fried riced (or grated) cauliflower with common Indian aromatics like turmeric, garlic, ginger, and onion. Egg is added to the pan to fry alongside the cauliflower creating a unique and flavourful dish, as well as adding some extra protein which sets it apart from other bhajis you may have tried.
This Indian recipe is straight from my family cookbook and has been a favourite for many decades. Sabzi is about as easy as it gets, toss everything in a skillet and fry until the vegetables are caramelized and starting to brown, that’s it! This easy recipe is a welcome addition to any Indian meal and makes a perfect side dish or keto friendly vegetarian supper.
What to Serve with Indian Cauliflower Sabzi?
This recipe is meant to be served as a side dish for curry or kebab. Cauliflower and egg sabzi is an excellent low carb replacement for rice and can be used to soak up all of that delicious curry gravy.
Cauliflower sabzi can also be served by itself as a healthy low carb vegetarian main dish. Thanks to the extra protein from the egg this vegetarian recipe is hearty and filling.
We have always paired this recipe with yellow chicken curry, butter chicken, or succulent beef korma. Here are some more low carb curry and kebab that pair wonderfully with this recipe:
Recipe Variations to Try
Zucchini and Egg Bhaji – This variation is the most popular side dish in our family cookbook, a version using thin slices of zucchini or summer squash that my Dadi came up with when they moved to Canada, this recipe is a must try! I have a full post on this recipe here.
Spinach Sabzi – Spinach and egg sabzi has everything you love about this cauliflower recipe but with yummy nutritious spinach instead. The spinach cooks so quickly this is the quickest version of this recipe.
Indian Cabbage Bhaji – It’s highly debated whether cabbage bhaji or cauliflower bhaji came first, but both are delicious options the whole family will like. Replace the riced cauliflower with thin slices of sautéed cabbage and you have a delicious side dish you can enjoy over and over again. Thanks to the affordability of cabbage, this version is the most frugal variation on this recipe.
Cauliflower Sabzi FAQs
What is the difference between a Sabzi, and a Bhaji?
Sabzi and bhaji generally refer to Indian vegetable dish that are paired with mains such as curry or kebab. This use and context of each term varies region to region. Sabzi and bhaji are both dishes of cooked vegetables, often fried or pan fried, these vegetable recipes are served in a variety of ways such as crispy, dry, or with a gravy like a vegetable curry, and are usually part of a larger meal with many vegetarian and meat based dishes.
Is cauliflower sabzi a healthy recipe?
This low carb recipe is packed with important vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It has no added sugar, and is very low in net carbs, perfect for low carb and keto diets. It also has egg for added protein, and uses popular spices like Turmeric, garlic, and ginger, which have long been reported to be beneficial for your health. Cauliflower is an excellent low carb source of vitamin C, B vitamins, Fiber, and Folate making this low carb sabzi a healthy, clean keto recipe.
Can I use frozen or store bought riced cauliflower?
Any riced cauliflower, homemade or store bought can be used for this convenient veggie side dish. If you are starting from frozen cauliflower, briefly pan fry it first to soften and thaw before adding the remaining ingredients.
Can I make this recipe without riced cauliflower?
Instead of riced cauliflower, grated, shredded, or very finely chopped cauliflower can be used. Pulsing cauliflower in a food processor or chopping very finely with a knife works well, before I had a food processor with a grating dish this is how I made this recipe for years.
What’s the best way to rice cauliflower?
There are a number of handy ways you can rice your own cauliflower using the grating disc on a food processorgrating disc on a food processor or a box grater. For more detailed information about making your own cauliflower rice, check out this dedicated post.
Is this Indian recipe complicated to make?
Indian cuisine can seem overwhelming and complicated but this low carb Indian side dish is as easy as it gets! No technical aspects or complex steps, put everything in the pan, and fry the crap out of it until the cauliflower is tender and starting to brown. That’s it!
Here is a quick rundown showing how easy it is to make this recipe:
- Rice or grate the cauliflower. Break down the cauliflower into florets and rice by either pulsing in a food processor, feeding through the chute of a food processor fitted with a grating disc, grating with a cheese grater, or dicing very finely with a knife and cutting board.
- Add everything to the pan. Add oil/butter/ghee to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice cauliflower and push everything to the sides of the pan to make a well, exposing the bare pan. To the well add the onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, raw egg, and then combine everything together.
- Fry until tender. Keep cooking the cauliflower, aromatics, and spices, stirring regularly, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent burning. Continue to cook until the cauliflower is tender and parts of the egg and cauliflower are starting to brown.
- Seasons, garnish, and serve. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lemon juice before serving alongside your favourite curry, or as a healthy vegetarian meal.
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Leftovers and Reheating Tips
Cauliflower sabzi can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to eat. This makes it an ideal recipe for meal prepping and packed lunches.
Leftovers – Add the leftovers to a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating – This recipe reheats well in the microwave so it’s great as part of a low carb packed lunch. You may also reheat on the stove in a skillet with some melted butter or ghee until warmed through.
Freezer tips – Although this recipe can be frozen for up to 2 months, the texture of both the cauliflower and egg may change once thawed.
Cauliflower and Egg Sabzi (Low Carb Vegetable Bhaji)
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- box grater optional
- food processor with grating disc optional
- Knife and Cutting Board
- large frying pan, skillet, or wok
Ingredients
- 5-6 tablespoons oil/butter/ghee
- 1 large cauliflower riced, grated, or very finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about 1" piece) minced
- 1 whole Thai or Kashmiri chili pepper green or red
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne powder use paprika to reduce spice
- 1 tablespoon turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice optional garnish
Instructions
- Grate the cauliflower. Break the cauliflower into florets and grate/rice using either a food processor, box grater, hand chopper, or dice very finely using a large knife. A food processor with a grating disc makes riced cauliflower very quickly and consistently. Store bought cauliflower rice can also be used.1 large cauliflower
- Combine all ingredients in the pan. Add the oil/butter/ghee to a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and push it to the sides to make a well in the center. To the well add: finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger, whole chilies, eggs, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, black pepper, and salt. Combine everything in the pan until well mixed.5-6 tablespoons oil/butter/ghee, 2 large eggs, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (about 1" piece), 1 whole Thai or Kashmiri chili pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne powder, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- Fry until tender. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté for 10 - 15 minutes. Add extra oil as needed to stop the pan from drying out and stir regularly, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Once finished the cauliflower should be tender, the egg should fully cooked and starting to brown. The oil in the pan may begin to rise to the top once its finished.
- Garnish and serve. Once the sabzi has finished cooking, remove the skillet from the heat. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt if necessary. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and lime/lemon juice if desired before serving.1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
Enjoy!
