Fluffy cauliflower "rice"

[its4me]

Who has the exact method to make it nice and fluffy? Do you use a potato ricer? Do you let cool and dry before ricing? Do you grate it first with a box grater?

Hoping for some advice from all of you cheffies.

[ravenrose]

I would say the number one thing is to use fresh cauliflower. The frozen stuff won't be "fluffy."

The second thing is to know you have a continuum from fluffy/hard to mushy. If you want it really soft, it's not going to be fluffy. Cook it less if you want to avoid that mushiness.

I have tried several techniques and far prefer grating in the food processor with the regular shredding blade.

Also, microwaving with no added water works well to avoid mushiness.

If you want to add fat, wait till it's done and toss it while hot.

Oh, rereading your question--definitely "rice" it before cooking! Otherwise it will compact when you do it. It never occurred to me that someone would cook it first!

[CarolynF]

Ravenrose is right..I shred mine with either my food processor or my hand grater. Always do it raw, too.

It is difficult to get it fluffy like rice because there is very little starch in cauliflower, but the good thing is that it is LC and can take on many flavors.

[Ginaaaaaa]

I always use frozen and rice mine after I cook it, and it always comes out well for me. I use a small food chopper. My favorite ways to eat cauli rice is to make fried rice or spanish rice.

[EveH]

I use fresh and steam it in the microwave. It doesn't pick up extra water, the way it would if you boil it or use frozen which is steamed once already at the factory. I then take it and chop it with my little hand chopper blade. I don't add butter because you are normally going to add something on top anyway. It turns out great for us. We just used it yesterday to put under our Black eyed peas. DH said if he didn't know it was cauliflower, it wouldn't occur to him that it was. Steaming in microwave seems to keep it whiter too.

[Dottie]

I use frozen, toss it in the food processor while frozen and pulse until it's the size I want then cook it very quickly (not more than 3 minutes).

[Cap57]

I also grate fresh cauli in the food processor.

My tip is if you want a rice pilaf-type dish, break some dry Dreamfield's spaghetti or angel hair into short pieces. Saute in a little butter until the spaghetti turns golden, (like you used to do with the dry rice/pasta in rice-a-roni.) Then proceed with your regular cauli-rice. The pasta helps the final product taste more rice-like for minimal additional carbs.

[its4me]

Originally Posted by Cap57

I also grate fresh cauli in the food processor.

My tip is if you want a rice pilaf-type dish, break some dry Dreamfield's spaghetti or angel hair into short pieces. Saute in a little butter until the spaghetti turns golden, (like you used to do with the dry rice/pasta in rice-a-roni.) Then proceed with your regular cauli-rice. The pasta helps the final product taste more rice-like for minimal additional carbs.

This is a terrific and creative suggestion. I bet you could flavor it up just like pilaf.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Everyone seems to have a different approach. It must work in a lot of different ways.