How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe in 15 Minutes

A great alternative to the classic fried rice, this cauliflower fried rice recipe offers pretty much the same texture and it tastes delicious.

While many of you may think that this dish will have a dominant cauliflower taste, I must tell you that this isn’t true. There is still a bit of flavor remaining, but combining it with egg and veggies will lead to a delicious combo and few people will guess that this is cauliflower and not actually rice! 

Lots of people enjoy fried rice and that is completely understandable. This Chinese dish is made up of stir-fried rice, mixed up with many other ingredients such as eggs, veggies, meat or seafood. You may serve it as a side dish or even a main course, especially when prepared with seafood or meat.

We can’t say exactly what are the origins of fried rice because they were lost in history. Most probably, it was invented somewhere between 589-618 AD, during the Sui dynasty. The home city was Yangzhou, in the eastern Jiangsu province. Yangzhou fried rice soon became the standard for any fried rice: bites of silky rice combined with eggs, peas, prawns, roast pork and scallions.

Who Invented The Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe?

The inventor of the fried rice died without taking credits for it but we definitely know who created the cauliflower rice. Benjamin Ford, son of the famous actor Harrison Ford, is a Californian chef. He also inherited his father’s call for adventures only not to ride with the Lost Ark or go to the Temple of Doom but to create new and delicious flavors and dishes in the kitchen. Which is equally satisfying, trust me!

Chef Benjamin Ford says that he has never heard about cauliflower rice as he calls it cauliflower couscous. He first cooked it in 1998 for the opening of his restaurant Chadwick. He was preparing a lamb dish together with chef Govind Armstrong and thought that giving this dish a little twist will change people’s perception a little bit.

Chef Ford states that he likes “to keep it real”, meaning to preserve the taste of natural food although playing with ingredients and flavors is an important part of his job. That is why he doesn’t create new dishes by using advanced technology and chemistry. He only experiences with combining different ingredients and cooking them in a different manner.

Cauliflower couscous/rice can be prepared using several techniques, from steaming to frying. It may even be blanched quickly in boiling salted water but it can get a bit mushy. Benjamin Ford says that in order to make cauliflower fried rice tasty, you need to sautee it in a skillet with a little butter or oil, place a lid on top and steam until tender. I tried that too but, if you want a crunchier texture, skip the steaming part.

This new invention was taken over by the paleo diet lovers and turned into cauliflower rice. Since the adepts of this diet are not allowed to eat any grains, being able to replace rice with cauliflower was a big step forward. Especially because the two textures resemble so much. The best part about easy cauliflower fried rice is that it is gluten-free, vegan, low-carb and light… and fluffy… and simply delicious. These are the many reasons why this dish has made its way quickly through the cuisines worldwide. 

There you have it, the Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe solved!

So, Why Should We Eat Cauliflower?

High content of vitamins and minerals

Because it is a vegetable packed with nutrients. It contains very few calories and it’s a great help for weight-loss diets.

While it is low in calories, cauliflower can be proud of itself due to the nutrition profile. Basically, if you eat this veggie you will get almost any vitamins and minerals you need. Here is what you can find in one cup of raw cauliflower:

All of these in just one cup?

High in fiber

Being high in fibers makes cauliflower very healthy because these help in growing the good bacteria in your gut. As you probably already know this type of bacteria is essential for your overall health as it promotes digestive health and helps decrease the inflammation.

When you are consuming enough fiber, you prevent the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease, constipation or diverticulitis. Eating more vegetables that contain fibers may lower the risk of different illnesses such as diabetes, cancer or heart diseases. Not to speak about obesity. It is known that most of the foods that lead to weight gain are high in carbs, starches and are devoid of fibers, vitamins and minerals. A larger amount of fibers promote satiety and will reduce the overall calorie intake.

Helps with the weight loss

Let’s talk a bit about weight loss! As I showed you, a cup of cauliflower contains only 25 calories. Which means you can easily eat two cups with no weight gaining. So some easy cauliflower fried rice could be suitable for your meal if you are trying to lose some weight. You may consider it the low-calorie substitute for other foods such as rice.

Eating cauliflower also means bringing some fibers to your organism. They slow the digestion process promoting that feeling of fullness which will keep you away from the kitchen for several hours. For this reason, you will eat less meals a day translating into less calories. Reducing the number of calories leads to weight loss and you will be happy and fulfilled at the same time. Because cauliflower rice stir fry tastes delicious.

Another benefit that this cruciferous adds to your weight loss diet is that it contains 92% water. Low-calorie, water-dense foods… the dream of every nutritionist and dieting people!

Easy to Add to Your Everyday Diet

There are several ways you can eat cauliflower because it is extremely versatile. Plus, it is cheap and you can find it in almost every grocery shop. And not to mention that you can include it amongst your foods if you are on a low-carb diet too. So, here are a few ways to add cauliflower to your diet:

• Cauliflower fried rice recipe – whizz the florets in your blender to replace the white or brown rice, and then stir-fry it. Combine with eggs and veggies or even meat.
• Cauliflower hummus – replace the chickpeas with cauliflower and add some roasted beet or pumpkin to get a nice dip.
• Cauliflower tortillas – mixing cauliflower rice with eggs can get you some low-carb tortillas to use for burritos, wraps or taco shells.
• Cauliflower pizza crust – pulse cauliflower and combine it with eggs, parmesan and mozzarella to get a crunchy pizza crust.
• Cauliflower mash – if you want to go low-carb, replace potatoes with cauliflower and prepare a mash out of this cruciferous veggie.
• Cauliflower mac and cheese – a twist for the classic dish could be replacing macaroni with cauliflower. You will get something equally delicious, only low calorie and low carb as well.

What Should I Pair With My Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice?

How to Make Cauliflower Rice?

It is actually quite simple. Take a cauliflower head, rinse it well and chop into small chunks. Place the pieces in a blender and pulse until it resembles the texture of couscous/rice. 

I recommend you cook it immediately instead of keeping it in the fridge for later. It gets a nasty smell when covered and you will end up wondering what has happened in your refrigerator when you open the door.

How Much Rice Does One Head of Cauliflower Make?

If you use a large cauliflower head, you will end up with about four cups of cauliflower rice.

How Do You Store the Rice?

If you are not using it immediately, my advice is to freeze the rice. It can last up to one month in the freezer.

In case you cook it and have some left overs, place them in a sealed container and keep in the fridge for maximum four days.

How Do You Make Cauliflower Fried Rice Tasty?

This rice can be served on its own, but adding other ingredients such as scrambled eggs and different veggies will enhance its taste.

How Do You Make Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice?

Kimchi is a popular Korean side dish consisting of fermented veggies. Americans are familiar with kimchi made of napa cabbage and spices although this dish can be prepared with various veggies.

If you want to cook this type of fried rice, simply add kimchi instead of other vegetables and some meat of choice. 

Varieties of Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry