Lemon Cauliflower Rice With Mustard Seeds & Curry Leaves

This lemon cauliflower rice is a low-carb version of the traditional South Indian lemon rice recipe. There are only 12g net carbs in the entire dish (and it makes 2 servings). If you want to cut the carbs even more, you can leave out the cashews. This is a vegan and gluten-free recipe.

Not only is this dish bright and colorful, but it has a fresh, citrusy flavor to it as well that is complimented by the tempered mustard seeds. This is a fantastic make-ahead dish. You can pair it with any Indian curry.

I have shared the traditional lemon rice recipe in my The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook. It's a traditional South Indian recipe that uses a little bit of urad dal in the tempering. In order to keep the carb count low, I left that out in this recipe. If you aren't following a keto or low-carb diet, you can add 2 teaspoons of urad dal along with cashews and curry leaves.

How to Make Lemon Cauliflower Rice

• Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Turn the heat to low and add hing, curry leaves, and cashews, and cook for another minute, mixing well.
• Add turmeric, riced cauliflower, and salt. Mix well.
• Cook on medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked tender, stirring frequently.
• Turn off the heat while the cauliflower still has a bite to it so it does not turn mushy. Add fresh lemon juice, mix well, and enjoy hot.

Serving

Looking for a simple and nutritious main dish to serve with this cauliflower rice? We love to pair it with this easy tandoori salmon recipe.

This is an excellent recipe to make when you are trying to either cut down on carbs or you want a side dish that is vegan and gluten-free.

Tips

• Keep the heat at medium-high. Once the mustard seeds start popping lower the heat this will prevent the oil from splattering especially when you add curry leaves.
• Fry cashews at low heat. This will help them cook without burning.
• Cook the cauliflower rice at medium-low heat. The cauliflower rice needs a bit more heat to really crisp up.
• Do not overcook the cauliflower. You only need to stir-fry the cauliflower rice for about 5 minutes. If you fry it for too long, it might become mushy.

Storing

Refrigerate any leftover cauliflower rice for up to 4 days. For longer shelf life, allow it to cool completely, and then place it in a plastic freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you are ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it in the skillet over medium-low heat.

★ Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it-I love seeing your creations. If you're on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!

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