Golden Turmeric Cauliflower Rice (Low Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Golden Turmeric rice is a simple one pan low carb side dish that pairs perfectly with curries and kebab. This flavourful cauliflower rice recipe is low in carbs, highly nutritious, incredibly simple to make, and the perfect way to spice up cauliflower rice.
Just 8g net carbs pre serving!
Pair this with my low carb Yellow Chicken Curry or Spicy Butter Chicken recipe.
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Similar to a pulao this low carb cauliflower rice recipe is seasoned with classic Indian flavours making it an ideal side dish for your favourite curries and kebabs. The freshly riced cauliflower is cooked until tender and is the perfect way to soak up that delicious curry gravy. If you have been wondering how to enhance regular old cauliflower rice this is a great recipe for you.
Why You'll Love This Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- Golden Turmeric cauliflower rice is a simple and quick low carb side dish
- Bursting with flavour, this side will bring your meal to life
- Low in net carbs this cauliflower rice recipe is keto, paleo, vegetarian, and whole30 friendly
- Healthy and highly nutritious this cauliflower rice recipe is packed with vitamin C and potassium
- A quick low carb side dish ready in just 30 minutes
Tips for Success
Below is a deeper dive into the steps and ingredients for this recipe. If you are ready to make this recipe now, use the jump to recipe button below.
What is in Low Carb Golden Turmeric Rice?
- Ghee or butter
- Riced Cauliflower
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Whole cloves
- Green or black cardamom
- Green chilies
- Turmeric
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt and pepper
How To Rice Cauliflower
For a more detailed breakdown on ricing cauliflower check out my dedicated cauliflower rice post.
Making cauliflower rice with a food processor (Easy method)
- Wash the cauliflower and break it into florets. You need to make sure the pieces are small enough to fit into the chute on the lid of your food processor.
- Install the grating disc on your food processor and put the lid on. Fill the chute with cauliflower and turn on the food processor, using the plunger to press the cauliflower into the spinning blade. Repeat for the remaining cauliflower.
- If you don’t have a food processor with a grating disc then you can use the regular blade and pulse the cauliflower until it breaks down into very small rice sized pieces. Pay attention and don’t pulse it too much. You don’t want it to be too fine or it will turn into mush.
Making cauliflower rice without a food processor
Method 1: Using a cheese grater (Medium method)
Wash the cauliflower and break into pieces you can hold firmly.
Grate like you would cheese using a box grater until all the cauliflower is riced.
Method 2: Using a knife or chopper (Hard method)
This method will yield less consistent but passable results. Instead of a grating disc or box grater you will be using a knife or hand chopper until the pieces are as small as rice.
Use a good knife to dice the cauliflower into very fine pieces. Continue running over the pieces with a knife until the pieces are very small, similar to rice.
Cooking the Spices
Anytime you are working with spices it’s important to cook them properly. Not only does this improve the flavours and and help distribute them evenly throughout the dish, it removes any unpleasant bitterness that pantry spices sometimes have.
To properly cook your spices, either toast them in direct contact with a hot dry pan for 1-2 minutes, or temper them in hot oil.
Take care not to let them burn, it barely takes a minute to cook spices this way.
In this recipe you will make a well in the cauliflower rice by pushing it to the sides of the pan to expose the hot bottom and then tempering the spices in the well with some hot ghee for less than 1 minute.
Recipe Card
Easy Golden Turmeric Cauliflower Rice (Low Carb, Paleo)
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Skillet or Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower riced
- 1 small onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger julienne (matchsticks)
- 4 tablespoons ghee or butter salted
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 3 whole cardamom pods green or black
- 2 whole hot chilies
- ½ tablespoon cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoons coriander powder
- ⅓ cup peas fresh or frozen
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons lime juice fresh
- cilantro fresh
Instructions
- Rice the cauliflower. Using the grating disc on a food processor, a box grater, or a knife, rice the cauliflower. Jump to the post above or my dedicated cauliflower rice post for a detailed breakdown.1 large cauliflower
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat ghee or butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and sauté for 3-5 minutes stirring often until the onions soften and begin to turn translucent. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods, cloves, and whole chilies, cook for 1-2 minutes.1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, 4 tablespoons ghee or butter, 4 whole cloves, 1 whole bay leaf, 3 whole cardamom pods, 2 whole hot chilies, salt and pepper
- Cook the cauliflower rice. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the riced cauliflower to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add ghee or butter as necessary and cook for around 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.1 large cauliflower, 4 tablespoons ghee or butter
- Add the spices. Make a well in the center of the pan by pushing everything to the sides to expose the hot surface of the pan. Add ghee or butter along with the turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Cook for around 1 minute before mixing everything together. If the pan is dry add more ghee or butter as needed.½ tablespoon cumin, 2 tablespoons turmeric, 2 tablespoons coriander
- Add the peas and finish cooking. Continue cooking until the cauliflower is cooked to your liking. It should be just starting to brown. Taste to make sure the spices are fully cooked down (No bitterness or powdered spiced feeling on your palette) and add salt as needed. Add the peas to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the peas are warmed through. Turn off the heat and add fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and chopped chilies, before serving.⅓ cup peas, salt and pepper, 3 tablespoons lime juice, cilantro
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
What to Serve With Golden Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
This low carb recipe is similar to a pulao or pilaf and makes a perfect pairing for curries, kebabs, and other grilled meats. But it can be used anywhere you would like a flavourful low carb rice dish.
Try this easy low carb side dish with these recipes:
Enjoy!
