Cauliflower Rice Biryani Recipe (Vegan)

This cauliflower rice biryani is a healthier take on the traditional vegetable rice biryani.  Instead of using the traditional basmati rice, I put fresh homemade cauliflower rice.  Its now one of my favorite Indian recipes ever

Being a Basmati rice fanatic, using cauliflower rice was a huge mind shift change.

This is my first time using cauliflower rice.

Now, I am kicking myself for not using it sooner!

Its so easy to make and its definitely the healthier option over regular rice.

Tips for making this biryani

• Hide kale or other greens in this biryani.
• Don’t skip on the garnish. I used sweet coconut shavings, almonds, cashews, red onions and raisins. 
• I only used about 3/4 of a cauliflower.  The rest of it went into my favorite pickled vegetables recipe.
• The word Biryani means “spicy rice”.   There is no shortage of spice in this recipe.  I used cardamom, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, ginger, garam masala and red chili powder. Don’t skimp on it.

How to make cauliflower rice

– Choose a small or medium sized cauliflower head

– Remove all the green leaves and cut of the stem.  Cut it to the very top of the stem

– The stem is very useful in broth recipes.  Just be sure to peel the outer thick skin

– Cut it into individual florets and place in a bowl

– Place the florets in a colander and wash it under tap water

– Drain all the water and place the floret on a tea towel

– Use a second tea towel and dry the florets.  Make sure there is no moisture or water on the florets

– For best results, use a 10 cup food processor

– Set the shredding disc in place and feed the cauliflower florets through the chute

– Set it to process and let it shred the floret

– The cauliflower rice will accumulate in bowl.  It should look like really large grains of salt (or couscous)

Tips for making cauliflower rice

– If you don’t have a 10 cup food processor, use the mini processor.  You can make it in batches and get the same results

– You can make small batches at a time and keep the rest of the cauliflower for other recipes

– If you don’t have a food processor, use you knife and continue cutting it until its finely diced

– Alternatively, shred the whole cauliflower and then store it in small portions inside a zip lock bag.  Mark the dates on the zip lock bags and freeze.

– To thaw, place the zip lock bag in vegetable section overnight.  In the morning, dry it on a tea towel before using.

– If you are going to use the cauliflower rice within a week, don’t freeze the zip lock bags.  Just place them in the vegetable section of your fridge.

–  Some grocery stores sell cauliflower crumbles, but, the might be a little big.  I just process them in the food processor once to make them smaller.

– Cauliflower rice cooks much faster, so, always use medium temperatures when cooking it.

Biryani ingredients

– Mustard Seeds

– Cumin Seeds

– Curry Leaves

– Turmeric

– Red chili powder

– Garam masala

– Coriander-cumin powder

– Coconut flakes

Vegetables in Biryani

– Cauliflower rice

– Small red potatoes

– Peas

– Bell peppers

– Onions

– Kale

Difference between biryani and pilaf

– Pilaf is a drier rice recipe

– Biryani uses a tomato gravy base with yogurt. I subbed coconut milk for yogurt

– Biryani is typically made in a large pan (or Kadai) and can be served in the same pan

– Biryani tends to be on the spicier side where there are lots of green and red chili.  Pilafs tend to have less spices in them

Have you tried my barley pilaf and my brussels sprouts pilaf recipes?

Want even more recipes using cauliflower rice? How about my vegan sushi bowl or a cauliflower rice and sausage recipe?

So, what’s your favorite way to use cauliflower rice?