There’s rice and than there’s cauliflower rice! But, once you try my Moroccan Cauliflower Rice recipe, you’ll never look at cauliflower rice the same way! It’s savoury and sweet, earthy, herbaceous, tender and utterly delicious! What could be better?!
This side dish combines grated cauliflower, toasted ground almonds, dates, mint, parsley and cilantro to create one of the most aromatic, flavourful and satisfying spoonfuls! Your taste buds will be thanking you! Pair it with my Braised Moroccan Chicken for a fun-filled culinary adventure!
Learn how to make cauliflower rice with a handful of ingredients, a single skillet and just 20 minutes of your time! So, why buy store-bought when you can make your own at home?! Let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 - 10 minutes
Total Time: 18 - 20 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower (See Notes below)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup ground almonds, toasted (See Notes below)
1/3 cup dates, pitted and finely chopped (See Notes below)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Instructions:
Preparing the Cauliflower: Remove the leaves and core. Using a sharp knife, breakdown the cauliflower into florets. Give them a good rinse and pat dry.
To a food processor, add the florets, cover and pulse 14 - 16 times to achieve rice-sized pieces. You will need to work in 2 batches to avoid over processing the vegetable.
Making the Cauliflower Rice: To a large skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the grated cauliflower, garlic powder and salt. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes. You know your cauliflower rice is done when it has slightly softened yet retains a little crunch.
The Finishing Touch: Turn off the heat and add the toasted ground almonds, dates, parsley, cilantro and mint and mix until combined.
Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
I Don’t Have a Food Processor: Don’t fret you can get the job done just as well using a box grater. Simply remove the cauliflower leaves and trim its core. Give it a rinse and pat dry. Set the box grater over a cutting board and, using the extra coarse or large holes, grate the cauliflower. Voila - now, you have cauliflower rice! Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife to finely chop the florets into rice-sized pieces. This method is labour intensive but yields a comparable result.
Drying Your Vegetables: After giving the cauliflower florets a good rinse, pat them dry with a paper towel or dish towel. This will help ensure your cauliflower rice fries up nicely without a soggy result.
Almonds Come in All Shapes and Sizes: I love using ground almonds in this recipe, however, if you want a little extra crunch, you can certainly substitute them with sliced almonds on a 1:1 basis.
Toasting the Ground Almonds: To toast or not to toast, that is the question?! You don’t have to do so but I highly recommend it as it adds additional depth of flavour to this dish. Set a small skillet over medium heat and add the ground almonds. Cook for 2 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring often. When they emit a toasty and nutty aroma, they are done! Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the toasted ground almonds to a small bowl to halt the cooking process. Set aside and slightly cool.
There’s Something About Dates: Dates add incremental texture, earthiness and sweetness to this tasty dish. I love using Terra Delyssa Deglet Noor dates in this recipe, given their nuttier flavour profile and chewier texture. But, if you can’t find them at your local grocer, simply substitute them with Medjool dates on a 1:1 basis. Medjool dates are slightly sweeter in taste and softer in texture but work equally well in this dish.