Sunday Supper 11: Curry Cauliflower Rice

Based on All-Dressed-Up Cauliflower Rice by Sophia Roe and available at Bon Appetit

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I'll be real honest. I wasn't feeling it this week. Didn't feel like cooking. Didn't feel like writing. And, to be frank, I didn't even much feel like eating. I'm feeling underwater at work, over-scheduled in the after-work-virtual-meeting space, voting rights are under attack all over the country, Georgia representatives had a Black colleague arrested for knocking on a door, the Suez canal is blocked and my Executive Dysfunction is ratcheting up.

But, obligation is a strong motivating factor for me in all things, and I committed to this blog, damnit, so I knew I needed to make something, anything, and write a few words about it that very few people on the internet would take the time to glance at. I didn't say the feeling of obligation was rational, just that it's there. So I puttered to the kitchen to look around.

I pulled down the binder full of loose recipes I've pulled from magazines I keep over the fridge, made a big dramatic production about plopping it down on the counter and flinging it open ... and this recipe was right on top of the pile. I hadn't planned to just make the thing on the top of the pile, and I just made a Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry last week, so another curry-flavored dish wasn't top of my list either. But, for whatever reason, I saw this and thought, "oooooh, that looks good," and my mood began to improve.

Maybe it was the bright yellows and reds and greens of the photo on the original recipe page (my photo does them justice, too), or maybe the promise of the warmth of curry and coriander and turmeric on a gloomy, rainy day. There's also a big part of me that finds calm and comfort in chopping vegetables and other cooking prep work when I'm feeling a bit at sea. #Virgo

After a quick walk around the neighborhood with a friend, then a stop at the market, I was ready to go.

The base recipe here is vegan. I added a few things that make it not. But I added them at the last and did taste the recipe as intended. It is delicious! The spices are so on point. and the fresh herbs are rich and bright. The sweet pops of golden raisins and red bell pepper make the mixture interesting and every so often you get the delicious crunch of pepitas and everything fires all together.

PREPARATION

I started out with a couple extra steps that aren't in the recipe.

First up, chicken. Looking at the recipe, I knew I wanted to add a little oomph in the form of protein and my choice here was just some simple ground chicken. I sauteed it in some olive oil, stirring minimally so it had a chance to get some crispy bits, then added a bit of water and spices (I used curry, turmeric and coriander like the main recipe calls for) and simmered for a few minutes. Then I set that aside to stir into the cauliflower mixture later.

Secondly, pepitas. The recipe calls for roasted pepitas and I couldn't find any pre-roasted at the store. So I roasted those little buddies at 400 for about 7 minutes. Obviously, keep an eye on these suckers, they'll burn.

Then onto the recipe. I don't have a food processor as the recipe calls for. A bit of time, patience, a good knife and a mise en place playlist and I had the cauliflower broken down to rice-size pieces in no time. Not actually no time, it took considerable time. But it was fun.

The rest of the veggies are easily managed, but do make sure to do your work ahead of time. Do all your slicing and dicing and zesting and measuring before you heat up the pan. Once you start, things move quickly. Which is the main reason I took care of the chicken and pepitas at the beginning. I wasn't feeling mentally capable of multi-tasking at the time.

RECOMMENDATIONS A couple of things I strongly recommend:

Add some spice - I threw in a chopped cayenne pepper when I added the coconut milk and lime. For me, there are two types of heat in a dish. Warmth and spice. You've got warmth in abundance here from curry and coriander. Delicious ooey gooey soul fixin' warmth. But I'm a man who likes a bite to my food, so the cayenne provides that edge of spice. Try it. You'll love it. Any similarly spicy pepper will do if you're not a weirdo like me with a freezer full of cayenne peppers.

Garnish It Up: I don't always, but in this case, I say use all the garnishes. Get frivolous and multi-layered with it. The last-minute addition of more fresh cilantro and fresh mint will make you feel all summery. The greek yogurt will cool you down when the curry starts acting up. The lime will remind you you're alive. It just all works together. I stirred in my prepared chicken and topped with goat cheese, in addition to everything above, for a warm, hearty bowl of yum.

Rating: 4.2/5

Will I Make It Again?: This is one I'll definitely keep on hand for dinner parties with vegan or vegetarian guests.