Cauliflower Rice : Brown or White?


For someone(like me) used to eating soft white rice at all times,the switch to nutty brown rice a little challenging and also expensive ,considering its low supply and relatively higher price.But makes me wonder, shouldn't the brown rice be cheaper,because it involves lesser processing than its white make over,saving the energy costs of Industrial milling and process of fortifying with synthetic vitamins?.
Be surprised,read the details of health benefits of whole Brown rice.
Clearly what remains in the white rice ripped off of its nature's best nutrients including fiber to negligible amounts is mostly starch,another culprit of unwanted weight gain resulting in aliments like diabetes and increase in cholesterol.Whole grains on the other hand are known to keep you fuller longer,reducing the cravings of eating between the meals.
So did I make the complete transition to Brown rice after learning its goodness?Just partly(cause of my picky tastes),but I have limited the white rice to smaller portions.As for Mr.Health Nut who is totally ga-ga over such whole foods ,always prefers the nuttiness of brown rice to the fluffiness of white rice.

Brown Rice Cooking and Storage
The brown rice takes longer to cook,soaking it before cooking helps in lessening the cooking time.The storage life of brown rice is shorter than white rice because the natural oils in the grain requires it to be stored in air-tight container and refrigerate for longer shelf-life.

Cauliflower Brown Rice

White Cauliflower ,unlike the white rice is totally wholesome and is considered a cancer fighting super food.The cauliflower brown rice with cauliflower cooked while still crunchy, makes a healthful meal.I cooked the rice and vegetable separately,if you prefer veggies softer ,then cook the rice with veggies like in this pulov recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups Organic Brown Rice
1/2 a medium onion,chopped
1/2 cup carrots,sliced
2 cups Cauliflower florets
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste,or 1/2 a teaspoon each of freshly minced ginger and garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoon fresh herbs like mint,cilantro or parsley, chopped.
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed

Method
Wash rice and soak it for 15 minutes.Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat flame. Add chopped onions ,whole green chillies and cumin seeds. saute for a minute and add ginger garlic paste. saute for a minute with turmeric and other spices. Add the cauliflower ,cover and cook for 10 of minutes until tender,I like it a little crunchy.
In mean time bring 4 cups of water to boil in a skillet with lid,drain the water from rice and drop carefully in the boiling water.Season with salt.Cover and let cook until tender about 25 minutes for brown rice and lesser for white rice,until water is all soaked up or drain any excess water using a colander.
Mix the cooked rice ,lemon juice in the cauliflower mixture,let cook for another 4-5 minutes until flavors come together.Garnish with fresh herbs and spring onions,serve warm with tomato Chutney.

This recipe is off to JFI event started by Indira of Mahanandi, Cauliflower is the Ingredient in focus for this month.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yasmeen, I have not yet bundled up the courage to switch to brown rice, but I will inshallah, slowly. Thanks for the recipe! Looks very healthy.
Priya Suresh said…
Delicious Cauliflower rice Yasmeen, yet to try brown rice..
Cham said…
I am not picky eater but somehow we were so much tied with white rice, cannot fully accept in southie version of cooking.Love ur nutty flavor pulao.
Preety said…
i never tried brown rice but will try soon..rice looks soo good..
FH said…
I use brown Organic rice for making Adai, looks good with golden color and tastes yum too. Gobi rice looks delicious, not much brown shows up when cooked. Should try! :)
Anonymous said…
Hmm..i love brown rice too..what all doubts you asked seems sensible..
Lemme check this Cauliflower one dear...Can imagine the taste!!
Trupti said…
Yasmeen, I never tried brown rice ..Surely will try this recipe Cauliflower rice looks very delicious
Maria Verivaki said…
i must say that the photo of the cauliflower and rice dish is mouth watering

i remember a big deal being made about the benefits of brown rice in the 1980s in new zealand - it was like newly discovered food. as you yourself say, it isn't something you've been used to eating, especially since you have always eaten soft white rice.

i think we should stick to healthy food choices that we are used to eating. for example, traditional cretan pilafi cannot be made with brown rice - the cooking time, texture and taste will make it so different that it will not be cretan pilafi. to top it all off, my family would revolt.
Archy said…
Switching from white to brown rice is bit difficult :)!! Whenever i cook brown rice it becomes sticky, hey d you have any tips ?? So started using it in dosa :) !!
This gobi rice looks yum !!
Hey, award waiting for u.. do pick it :)!!
Manju said…
the addition of cauliflower and all that masalas should make it more eatable!! ive been having a difficult time eating brown rice after being soo ussed to white rice!!
Judy said…
We're the opposite: my hubby only eats white rice, and I prefer brown, specifically Basmati brown. But we don't each much rice because of it's glycemic effect on me. And when we do eat it, I load it up with veggies, such as you did. I like the idea of cauliflower in the rice.
BTW, I have an award for you on my blog.
Poornima Nair said…
Hey Yasmeen...Cauliflower rice looks delicious....but unfortunately I just just cant adjust to the taste of brown rice...
Vaishali said…
This looks really delicious as well as healthy, Yasmeen. And beautiful too!
I do cook often enough with brown rice, although I do tend to cook my most special meals with white, because the blander flavor does more justice to biryanis and pilafs. Besides, although long-grain white rice has been stripped of its fiber, it still has a glycemic index comparable to brown rice, so I figure it's okay to use white once in a way.
AnuSriram said…
Never tried brown rice.. Cauliflower rice looks perfect and delicious! I have soemthing for u in my blog.. Pls accept!
Ashwini said…
Switching from white to brown is very difficult..But for a change its good..The rice looks yumm..you cant make out it is brown rice..
Yasmeen said…
Thank you all for taking time to comment.
Yep,being a S.Indian myself used to eating W.Rice ,the nutty texture of B.Rice seems a bit unusual.But I do manage to nibble on it at least once a week.
I do have other recipes with B.rice,stay tuned:)
Dori said…
I have tried brown rice and didn't enjoy it much, though I really wish I did... I also wonder why it costs more... Your rice really looks delicious, though!
Bharti said…
Hey Yasmeen..ya I don't think I could ever completely switch to brown rice. Some dishes just don't taste right with it. However, I do like brown rice and in a dish such as you have prepared, it's quite yummy. Btw, I recently read that although Basmati rice is stripped of the outer husk, it's effect on the glycemic index is lower than that of regular white rice. So basmati is not too bad in spite of it being white.
Varsha Vipins said…
I do so much want to shift to brown rice ..But picky tastes of ma better half never allows me..wat to do?paired with cauliflower they look like a load of goodness..yummy one dear..:)
Recipeswap said…
Perfect timing for this post,I have seriously been considering switching to brown rice but my husband is fussy an frankly dont know if I can do it too.Looks delicious and healthy.
Sanghi said…
Looks great! new recipe for me yasmeen..! Again u rock!! :)
Sharmila said…
Don't know if I can switch to brown rice completely ... but I often do wonder if eating polished rice regularly is bad. But Bharti's comment just put me at a little ease ... I can have my basmati mouthful now without a little less guilt. :-)
sangeeta said…
looks yum and definitely wholesome........you know this is called tahiri in uttar pradesh n is a fav lunch of my hubby ( off course with W rice).........in such spicy n flavoured recipes , it is easier to adapt to B rice..
sriharivatsan said…
Same pinch yasmeen, i too have poasted cauliflower pulao yesterday..Yours is a healthy version as u hve made it in brown rice..Never tried brown rice so far..Wanna to try it sometime..
Unknown said…
looks delicious..brown rice is indeed healthy..have to include it atleast in small portions everyday.
Meeta K. Wolff said…
I really do not mind brown rice at all! I switched quite some time back and do not mind that nutty flavor at all. As a matter of fact knowing that it's better for me and my family I have no intentions of going back!
Indian Khana said…
Looks very nice and healthy ....
Shama Nagarajan said…
looks yummy and inviting
Sunshinemom said…
Cauliflower rice look yum. I use both but brown rice is as regular so I don't have any qualms. Soaking for an hour helps of course, and three years back I thought it was nutty but now I am so used to it that I can't make it out!! If I am making pulav or jeera rice I use white rice but while making regular every day rice I use brown.
Purva Desai said…
I have never enjoyed the taste of brown rice.....but ur cauliflower rice will change my opinion....Looks colourful and healthy
notyet100 said…
will try brown rice soon,..
Never tried brown rice. The cauliflower rice looks yummy.
lubnakarim06 said…
NOw a days i can see this rice very coomon in almost all grocery stores. Still need some more inspiration to try i think. Cauliflower rice sounds new looks yum.
Nithya Praveen said…
Yasmeen i have never tried my hands in brown rice.I am a picky eater too,so the thot of using that rice is not much.However these days i have been seeing alot of recipes using this,guess its time to switch.Loved the gobi in the dish,am always for gobi.
Vikis Kitchen said…
Cauliflower rice looks delicious. Good to try this brown rice. yummy.
CurryLeaf said…
Love this rice Y.Truly healthy
Dershana said…
Though I've been used to the fat, brown kerala rice variety I'm yet to acquire a taste for brown basmati. tried it in a biriyani last weekend and had to douse it liberally with the side dish gravy to eat it :-)

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