Cauliflower Rice — The Low-Carb Rice Substitute
Cauliflower rice is coarsely grated cauliflower cooked in a dry or lightly oiled pan for just six minutes. The critical step is drying: squeeze the grated cauliflower in a cloth before cooking, or it steams instead of frying. A cup carries 25 calories against 200 for rice.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Calories
- 60
Cauliflower rice has become a staple of low-carb and keto cooking, yet most people dislike it because it comes out wet and boiled with a strong smell. The problem isn't the cauliflower — it's overcooking and moisture that was never removed.
Method
-
1
Grate
Break the cauliflower into florets and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, or pulse them in a food processor in short bursts. You want rice-grain sized pieces, not powder.
⏱ 7 min -
2
Dry it — the critical step
Put the grated cauliflower in a clean cloth and wring it out well. You'll be surprised how much water comes out. This step is the difference between cauliflower rice and mush.
⏱ 3 min -
3
Start the pan
Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat, cook the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the cauliflower.
⏱ 1 min -
4
Cook
Stir over high heat for five to six minutes only, uncovered. A lid traps steam and boils it. It should keep a slight bite.
⏱ 6 min -
5
Season
Off the heat, add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. The lemon noticeably cuts the cauliflower smell.
Cooked it? Rate it
Your rating tells the next cook whether this recipe is worth their time.
✓ Thanks — your rating is in.
Tips that actually matter
- Uncovered and over high heat — that's the rule. A lid boils it.
- Lemon juice at the end breaks down the sulphurous cauliflower smell.
- For a keto kabsa or biryani, add kabsa spice with the garlic and stir.
- You can grate and freeze it raw, then cook straight from frozen without thawing.
People also ask
How many calories in a cup?
About 25 to 30 calories a cup, against 200 for a cup of cooked white rice, with roughly a tenth of the carbohydrate.
Why does it turn out wet?
Because it wasn't wrung out before cooking, or it was covered while it cooked. Squeeze it in a cloth and cook uncovered over high heat.
Will children eat it?
Yes, and it's a good way to get vegetables past them. Mix it half and half with ordinary rice at first while they get used to it.
Cook mode
Cauliflower Rice — The Low-Carb Rice Substitute
-
1
Grate
Break the cauliflower into florets and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, or pulse them in a food processor in short bursts. You want rice-grain sized pieces, not powder.
-
2
Dry it — the critical step
Put the grated cauliflower in a clean cloth and wring it out well. You'll be surprised how much water comes out. This step is the difference between cauliflower rice and mush.
-
3
Start the pan
Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat, cook the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the cauliflower.
-
4
Cook
Stir over high heat for five to six minutes only, uncovered. A lid traps steam and boils it. It should keep a slight bite.
-
5
Season
Off the heat, add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. The lemon noticeably cuts the cauliflower smell.
Comments
Cooked it? Tell us how it went, or ask a question — we read every comment.