Persian cauliflower rice with roasted pumpkin seeds and parsley crisps

Quick, easy and tasty.  This nutty and fluffy Persian cauliflower rice is a brilliant weekday dinner winner. It’s packed full of zingy flavours inspired by the Middle East. It’s seasonal too and a great way to use up leftover Halloween pumpkin seeds, which are packed with Omega 3.  This dish is a low carb, healthy alternative to rice.  And the parsley crisps are surprisingly good!

GF - Grain and gluten free

DF - Dairy free

SF - Sugar free

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower
• 3 carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 shallot 
• 2 garlic cloves
• 45g pumpkin seeds
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 10g fresh parsley 

Photography by Paleocrust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan assisted).
2. Peel, remove the tops from the carrots and dice into small cubes. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until tender.
3. Remove the stem and leaves from the cauliflower. Chop into chunks and blitz in a food processor using the S blade until it resembles a rice consistency. Place the cauliflower rice in a metal steamer in 1cm of water and cook for 3 minutes (or microwave on medium/ high for 5 minutes) until soft. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a muslin cloth or a thin, clean tea towel. Squeeze out the excess water. This is the step that will make it fluffy!
4. After 10 minutes of the carrots being in the oven, add the pumpkin seeds and roast for a further 8 -10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven.
5. Peel and finely dice the shallot and garlic. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add the onion and garlic and sweat on a medium heat for 1- 2 minutes until translucent. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and coriander seeds and fry for a further minute. Add in the cauliflower rice, roasted carrots, toasted pumpkin seeds, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, lime juice and zest. Fluff up with a fork and mix well. Cook for another 1 - 2 minutes until heated through. 

Parsley crisps

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a frying pan. Add the parsley and fry for 1 - 2 minutes until crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a sheet of kitchen towel.

Transfer the Persian cauliflower rice to a bowl and top with your freshly made parsley crisps.

“Food is one of life’s most powerful medicines. I believe the secret to radiant health starts and ends with a healthy gut so my recipes are all grain, gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. I love wholesome, natural food. Heaps of vegetables, eggs, nuts, organic meat, fish and some low GI fruits as a treat.  For me, it’s about keeping things simple but using these food groups in a fun, creative way to nourish and support your body.” Jo, founder, Paleo Crust.