Indian cauliflower rice pulao recipe

Indian Rice Recipe

Indian cauliflower rice pulao recipe is a one dish meal recipe. You can make it for lunch or dinner or as a party rice dish. It is good to pack for a office or school lunch box.

You may serve it hot or at room temperature. It tastes best when hot. You can make cauliflower pulao in advance and then reheat it at the time of serving.You may use leftover rice for making this cauliflower pulav.

Cauliflower cooks fast so this pulao does not take a long time to make.

It is a good one dish meal to make for dinner.

You can also cook the rice and cauliflower in advance and do the final cooking/mixing in about 5 minutes just before serving.

How to make Spicy Indian cauliflower rice pulao

Ingredients for cauliflower pulav for 2-3 servings

Rice - 1 cup
Cauliflower - 1 medium sized
Fresh peas (optional - shelled) -1/4 cup
Red chili powder(optional) - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp, more or less according to taste
Pulao masala and / or Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Vegetable oil or desi ghee - 2 tbsp
Lemon / lime juice - 1 tbsp or according to taste.
Green chilies - 2 more or less according to taste
Ginger paste or chopped fine - 1/2 tsp
sugar (optional) - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ingredients for garnishing / serving:

cashew nut pieces - 1/2 Tbsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Preparation before cooking cauliflower bhaat

Wash rice. Add water and keep aside for about 30 minutes.
Cauliflower needs a through cleaning. see instructions to clean cauliflower How to clean and prepare cauliflower before cooking
Heat oil. Add the cleaned florets in the hot oil and and fry cauliflower till golden and keep aside.

Cooking cauliflower rice Pulao

Pressure cook, soaked rice. (you may also cook it on the stove top till just done.) and allow it to cool. or you may use leftover rice.
Spread the hot rice on a plate and separate the grains gently with a fork.
In a pan add 2 tbsp oil (from the oil which you used for frying.)
Add cumin seeds. When they stop spluttering, add cooked peas, salt, pulao masala, garam masala powder, sugar, fried cauliflower florets and mix well.
Add cooked rice and mix carefully.
Cover and cook on low flame for a minute. Switch off the flame.
Add fried cashew nuts, lemon juice and mix well.
Decorate with cashew nuts and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with your favorite raita. Tomato raita, onion raita, cucumber raita go well with this cauliflower.

Tips :

I usually add 1 tsp pulao masala and 1/2 tsp garam masala.
Do not overcook rice.
Do not over fry florets.
You can reduce the hotness by adjusting the quantity of red chili powder and green chilies according to your taste.
You can store cauliflower rice in the fridge for 2 days.
When you are in a hurry, by the time rice cooks and cools, you can cook and get the cauliflower ready and do the final mixing in 5 minutes.
You may use leftover rice for making this cauliflower rice/gobi pulao.