Riced Cauliflower Shrimp Biryani

My wife and I just got back from our trip to the UK, where we enjoyed the food immensely. However, after eating our fair share of fish and chips, meat pies (steak, chicken, and mutton depending on the night), pasties, and even takeaway Indian, we were in the mood for something much lighter tonight. So, we turned to an old favourite (riced cauliflower), and decided to turn it into an Indian inspired meal. This recipe certainly isn’t for the “Biryani purists” out there, but if that phrase doesn’t describe you, then give it a try! Making this meal even more intriguing, you have so many options about which vegetables to use! Try adding corn, green pepper, or cilantro to sub in for (or just join the party) the ingredients suggested in the recipe. Or, swap out the shrimp for chicken or goat. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and sense of adventure.

Try pairing this with Veggie Samosas or your favourite naan!

Time: 35-40 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• Peas
• Scallion Onions
• Red Pepper
• Garam Masala (or make your own with a custom mix of ground cloves, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, mustard powder, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and/or garlic powder)
• Ginger (fresh is best)
• Saffron (optional)
• Water
• Butter (about a tablespoon, but you can get away with less)

Method:

• Rice your cauliflower with the shredding attachment of your food processor or a box grater (or buy it pre-riced, and skip this step entirely)
• Dice your scallions and red pepper
• Melt some butter in a large pan (that hopefully you have a lid for to use in a later step), and add your onions and peppers.
• After a few minutes, add in your shrimp and seasonings (including grating your ginger in), and stir to combine. Let cook for a few minutes.
• Then, add your peas and riced cauliflower (and a few saffron stems if you’re using them), and pour in a little water (I used a cup, and that was unambiguously too much)
• Stir everything to combine, and put the lid on the pan (or carefully wrap some foil over the top) to let everything steam for about 10-15 minutes.
• Then, remove the lid, and cook until the liquid is gone.
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!