Recipe: Nigerian Twist on Cauliflower Rice - Jollof 'Rice'

I'd heard about cauliflower rice but never tried making it until I saw it in the Fitter Food book (Buy it here: store.fitterlondon.co.uk/fitter-food-book-a-lifelong-recipe-for-success-price-includes-delivery-to-uk-only/). I liked that it was cooked in a pan instead of being steamed, before being grated or put in a food processor. This is because I felt the latter would be mushy, which I cannot stand.

I initially intended to post a rice, stew and 'dodo' recipe but I didn't have any meat or chicken in the fridge! I had to eat this with venison sausages, so the stew was out of the question. I improvised and made Jollof 'Rice' instead.

- 1/2 cauliflower
- 230g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1/4 onion
- 1 tablespoon of chilli flakes
- Seasoning - mixed herbs, mixed spices and salt

1. Wash the cauliflower and remove the leaves and stalk. 
2. Grate with a grater with large holes (this helps give it a better rice like texture).
3. In a pan, heat the oil and add the sliced onions. Allow to brown for 2 minutes. 
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, bring heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. (If you're using blended fresh tomatoes & onions, cook for at least 10 minutes).
5. Add seasoning and chilli. Stir. Cook for a further 5 minutes, until the water starts to dry out from the chopped tomatoes.
6. Add the grated cauliflower and stir thoroughly with the chopped tomatoes.
7. Stir fry on high heat for 5 minutes.

I served mine with pan fried plantain (in one tablespoon of coconut oil) and sausages. Just like our beloved 'Jollof Rice and Dodo'. Trust me, this was very tasty - seasoning plays a big part in taste so make sure you don't skip that step. 

Eating cauliflower rice instead of rice greatly reduces the carb content of this meal, which the plantain provides most of here. You could even use a whole cauliflower, which has ~16g of carbohydrates.

Try it and let me know what you think :)

PS If you're in Lagos (Nigeria), I've been told cauliflower is sold in Spar and Shoprite. Do you buy cauliflower anywhere else? Please share :)