Curried Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Crispy Chickpeas
Pulsing cauliflower in your food processor turns the veggie into a versatile rice substitute that’s lower in calories and carbs than rice. Here, we sauté it with Indian spices and serve with crispy chickpeas and a rich curry sauce.
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Try making Cauliflower Fried Rice.
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz BPA-free can unsalted chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tbsp unsweetened dried goji berries, optional (TRY: Navitas Naturals Goji Berries)
- 8 cups packed baby spinach
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds, optional
- 1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded, optional
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, chopped, optional
Curry sauce
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Preparation
- Prepare curry sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cover; set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Using a clean towel, pat chickpeas dry, discarding any loosened skins. Melt 1 tbsp oil and pour into a large bowl. Add chickpeas, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cumin and toss to coat. Spread on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse cauliflower into rice-sized pieces. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil on medium. Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, turmeric and remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and sauté until cauliflower is softened and no liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in goji berries (if using). Cover to keep warm.
- In a large saucepan on medium, heat 1/2 cup curry sauce. Add spinach and cook, tossing, until wilted and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Divide cauliflower mixture, spinach mixture and chickpeas among bowls. If using, top with carrots, cabbage and cashews. Drizzle bowls with remaining curry sauce.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/4 recipe
- Calories 338
- Carbohydrate Content 33 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 17 g
- Fiber Content 10.5 g
- Protein Content 13 g
- Saturated Fat Content 15 g
- Sodium Content 510 mg
- Sugar Content 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g