Middle Eastern cuisine is awesome! The taste, the flavor, the textures, the spices… So what do you do if you’ve switched to keto, but your tender love for Fergana pilaf remains? To cheat! An Eastern-style keto cauliflower rice pilaf recipe from keto adept Maria Sorokina.
This year I discovered cauliflower in a new way and found the perfect keto cauliflower rice pilaf recipe.
What a versatile vegetable this is! You can grate it on a grater or chop it in a blender and use it instead of rice. But the main advantage is that it absorbs all the flavors as much as possible, giving us space for imagination.
The basis, which sets the main note and makes Fergana pilaf recognizable, is zirvak – stew of vegetables, meat, and spices. Everything depends on it! And it is this accent that will be featured in our keto cauliflower rice recipe.
Turkey fat is perfect for making zirvak. But if you don’t have it, take the oil with the least flavor, such as refined olive oil or grape seed oil.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 7 servings
Carbohydrates: 11g
Ingredients
- 800 g cauliflower
- 800 g meat (I have beef, but you can use any type)
- 500 g carrots
- 200 g onions
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1-2 tsp salt (by taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat and vegetables. Grate the raw cauliflower on a coarse grater or chop it in a blender (not too finely). Dice the meat into medium-sized cubes and the onion into half rings. Cut carrots into thin slices, 4-6 cm long.
- Prepare a zirvak. Take a cauldron (if you don't have one, a wok or pan with a thick bottom will do). Put it on high heat. When the surface heats up, add the turkey fat. As soon as it heats up, add the onions. Fry it until golden brown, then add the meat. Without turning down the temperature, fry the meat until the first golden crust forms. Add the cumin. After that, add carrots to the cauldron. Without changing the temperature, cook everything until the carrots become soft.
- Add a whole head of garlic. Pour hot water so it just covers the vegetables and meat. Taste and season with salt. As soon as zirvak boils, turn down the heat and stew for 30-50 minutes, depending on the meat you choose.
- Add cauliflower to the cauldron. Thoroughly mix and leave on the stove for another 15-20 minutes, until the cauliflower is ready. Stir occasionally, 3-4 times.
- Put ready-made cauliflower rice on the plates; you can sprinkle it with greens, but not necessarily. Yoqimli ishtaha!
Notes
This recipe is the basic one. Next, you can play with the spices. The most common choices are:
- Saffron
- Barberry
- Curcuma
- Chili pepper
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Fiber: 6g
