An amazing blend of fresh riced cauliflower, combined with ghee, onions, ground pistachio nuts, fresh pomegranate seeds and a mild spice blend which is a refreshing replacement to wheat couscous.
This crisp, fresh and nutty cauliflower couscous is a reproduction, albeit a slightly adjusted version of a recipe from my Eat Drink Paleo Recipe book by Irena Macri.
It is enticingly suited to Moroccan dishes and goes well with most stews too. It’s quick and easy to prepare with minimal cooking time to preserve the cauliflower crunch. The spice mixes may be altered to suit individual tastes. Pomegranate seeds may be replaced with chopped dried fruit such as apricots or cranberries. The pistachio nuts may be replaced with other raw nuts as preferred. Pecans or Hazelnuts work well in this recipe.
As a meal on it’s own for vegans, or, with a protein for non-vegans, this is a particularly tasty spin on cauliflower. This provided a much-suited accompaniment to my Moroccan Lamb Tagine.
Ingredients
500g fresh cauliflower, broken into florets
2 tblsp ghee
1 onion, finely sliced
60 raw pistachio nuts
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Zest from one small lemon
1 tsp Himalayan or Sea Salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp curry powder or masala (sugar and preservatives free)
juice of ½ a lemon
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
Handful of fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped
40g pomegranate seeds
Nuts for garnish
Here’s How
- Add the cauliflower florets to a food processor and blend into rice like granules. Set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a large non-stick frying pan on medium stove top heat. Add in the sliced onions and saute until soft and translucent.
- While the onions are cooking, grind the pistachio nuts into a rough crumble in a food process, coffee grinder or pestle and mortar
- Add the ground nuts, garlic, lemon zest and another tablespoon of ghee to the frying pan and stir for a minute or two. Then add the salt, pepper, turmeric and masala and stir for another two minutes.
- To complete this quick braise, add in the riced cauliflower, mix well to combine the the spice blend for about three to four minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped herb of your choice and the pomegranate seeds. Mix again to combine and serve, topped with extra pistachio nuts.
Enjoy