Riced and Spiced Cauliflower

Riced and Spiced Cauliflower with lamb and vegetable kebab

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 5 sprigs of basil
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 110 g (or 4 oz) of onion
• 0.7 kg (or 1½ lb) of cauliflower florets
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of sesame oil
• 60 g (or ½ cup) of raw sesame seeds
• 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of rice wine vinegar
• 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of Asian fish sauce
• 2 small cans of coconut cream, approximately 320 ml (or 11 oz)
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of no-salt lemon pepper such as Lawry's
• 3 g (or ½ tablespoon) of powdered cardamom
• 3 eggs
• 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of Tabasco
• 80 g (or 2½ oz) of frozen peas

The Method:

1. Remove the basil leaves from the stems and put them aside. Chop the tender part of the basil stems finely.
2. Chop the cilantro finely and put it aside.
3. Dice the onion finely.
4. Roughly slice the cauliflower florets and tender stalks then place them in a food processor or similar machine, using more than one batch if necessary.
5. Pulse the food processor so as to chop the cauliflower into rice-like pieces.
6. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over high heat and stir-fry the riced cauliflower with the basil stems and onion for approximately 6 minutes, until the cauliflower releases most of its moisture and starts to turn slightly brown.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sesame seeds, stir-frying for another 3 minutes.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in first the rice wine vinegar and then the fish sauce so that both are thoroughly mixed with the cauliflower.
9. Stir in the coconut cream, cilantro, lemon pepper, and cardamom, stir-frying until almost all of the liquid is absorbed and/or evaporated.
10. Whisk the eggs together with the Tabasco sauce in a bowl.
11. Return the skillet to high heat, and add the egg mixture, reserved basil leaves, and frozen peas, stirring constantly and swiftly until the egg is incorporated and cooked thoroughly in approximately rice-size morsels.
    

The Story:

This recipe was inspired by Jackie Alper's recipe for Thai Cauliflower 'Fried Rice' with Coconut on her website. Many ingredients and amounts have been changed in my version but I did retain the coconut.