Have you tried cauliflower nasi goreng?
Nasi goreng is literally fried rice in Malay language. So cauliflower nasi goreng?
Yesssss, you've guessed it correct. It's cauliflower fried rice.
What's So Special About Cauliflower Nasi Goreng?
For those of you who want to mind their carbs intake either to get ready for the holidays or taking care after the holidays' feasts, this is one perfect meal for you.
And guess what, it's also a vegetarian friendly meal.
Low Carbs
Replacing the rice with cauliflower rice is a great choice as cauliflower rice absorb the flavours like rice does and it's very low in carbs.
So by using cauliflower rice, you will still get and enjoy the taste of a delicious nasi goreng while still cutting your carbs intake.
Not only low in carbs, cauliflower is also high in fiber, a good source of antioxidants and as you can see, it's very easy to incorporate in your diet.
Vegetarian Meal
You can personalise this cauliflower nasi goreng in so many ways. I'm making it vegetarian friendly with this recipe by not using any animal meat.
You can make it vegan by skipping the egg. No problem at all.
Or of course if you want you can add chicken, shrimps or beef in it. Make it yours.
Tips How To Make Perfect Cauliflower Nasi Goreng
The main problem that many people have with this meal is that the cauliflower rice gets extremely soggy and wet.
We don't like our nasi goreng soggy and wet, do we? And of course we don't want the same for our cauliflower nasi goreng.
Below are my tips to get the perfect cauliflower nasi goreng:
1. Washing The Cauliflower
I wash the whole cauliflower head before I cut it into florets. This will reduce the amount of water on the florets themselves and make them drier to begin with.
2. Blend In Small Batches
Yes, blend your cauliflower florets in small batches. ½ lb (250 g) a batch is perfect. If you blend too many at one time, you will end up with a cauliflower mush.
Trust me, I've been there.
And oh, when I said blend I meant pulse. This will also ensure us getting cauliflower rice instead of mush.
3. Dry Condiments, Ingredients And Pan
The same concept applies in this recipe as in any other stir fry recipes. We will try to use condiments and ingredients that have less liquid.
So I would avoid using pastes as condiments. For example, instead of using sambal oelek you should use chili flakes for the heat. Go slow with the soy sauce also. A touch is enough. Help to season this meal by using salt or chicken bouillon powder if you want.
Use veggies that don't release so much water. I would not use mushrooms and zucchinis for example as they release lots of water as you cook them.
Always try to keep the bottom of the pan dry. Try to use wide surface pan.
Last but not least, try to cook this cauliflower nasi goreng in small batches. Cooking a huge amount in a pan will end up steaming the cauliflower instead of stir frying it and that, will lead to soggy and wet cauliflower nasi goreng.
So there you go. Simple and helpful tips to make a delicious cauliflower nasi goreng. Hope you'll give it a try!
Before You Go
If you're interested in simple light meals, perhaps you want to check these out:
- Quick turmeric lentil stew
- Ginger steamed fish
- Healthy orange chicken
- Asian chicken noodle soup
- Instant pot congee
You can look for similar recipes in my recipe page.
Video
Cauliflower Nasi Goreng
Ingredients
- ½ shallot , diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ thumb sized ginger , minced
- 4 green beans , cut into ½ inch (bit more than 1 cm) length
- 1 small sized carrot , cut into ½ inch (bit more than 1 cm) cubes
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ lb cauliflower , cut into medium sized florets
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- salt to taste
Others
- fried egg
- slices of chili
- lime wedges
- coriander leaves
Instructions
Prepping The Cauliflower
- Cut the washed cauliflower into medium sized florets. Place in a food processor and pulse until you get rice grains sized cauliflower. Set aside.
- Prep and set aside all the other ingredients before starting to cook
Cooking
- Heat some oil in a pan on high heat. Add in ginger, garlic and shallot. Cook until they turn golden brown.
- Add in carrot, green beans, chili flakes and continue cooking until the veggies are slightly cooked.
- Now add in cauliflower rice, turmeric powder, soy sauce, white pepper powder and sugar. Mix everything well and continue cooking just until the cauliflower rice is soft but not mushy.
- Turn off the heat. Add in sesame oil and give it one last mix. Serve hot with fried egg, chili, coriander leaves and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Low carb! This really helps my cravings for rice. Thanks!!!!
Yeay! I hear you as rice is really my weakness. Thanks Aydan 😍!
Tears of JOY! Hubby went to Bali yrs ago for work & was introduced to this dish, then turned me on to it. But since he was diagnosed T2 diabetic 4 yrs ago, rice was off the menu. This works perfectly!
The article is correct that you want everything as dry as possible. That said, I flash fried 1 chicken breast (1/2" cubes) & removed to a plate before starting reg. recipe. Added a sprinkle of no-sodium chckn bullion powder (Herb Ox) with other seasonings. Lastly, I used frozen organic cauliflower rice. Same difference -- you want high enough heat to cook thru w/o getting soggy. Since I used 12 oz. bag, also upped carrot & green beans a bit.
DELICIOUS!!
Hi Deb, I'm happy to know that you and your husband loved it. Yes, you can modify the recipe according to you liking with no problem at all. Thank you so much Deb!
Thanks a lot for this healthy recipe! I used some prawns for added protein. delicious!
Tq! Suka nasi goreng kobis ni sangat2!
Tq. Done it few years ago, but no will have it maybe twice a week
Kan? Saya pon buat selalu. Nak try nasi goreng kampung 😉 .