Low-carb side dish in just 10 minutes: cauliflower bulgur pilav

“Pilav” is a generic denomination in Turkish cuisine for the accompaniment of rice, bulgur or pasta, or a mixture of two of these. This cauliflower bulgur pilav is a particular version, since it’s perfect even for those who are in a low-carb or ketogenic diet.

The cauliflower offers a wide spectrum of possibilities, specially for all those looking for “low carb” or “keto friendly” recipes. And it is also very effective, because in less than a quarter of an hour we will have a healthy, tasty and satiating accompaniment.

Procedure:

Wash the cauliflower, cut into small pieces to facilitate the process, and grind in the processor until you get grains similar to bulgur. Reserve.

Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan without letting it smoke. Chop the onion, garlic and pepper and sauté over moderate heat. When the onion has turned transparent, add the tomato, tomato paste, bulgur, paprika and salt. Mix until integrated, cover and cook over moderate heat for about 10 minutes without adding any additional liquid. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with a sprinkle of chopped spring onion on top.

Tips and tricks:

1. It’s advisable to discard the germ of the onion and garlic if they are very green, since they can be a bit indigestible.
2. As also happens with broccoli, cauliflower smells quite bad during cooking and does not invite you to trust the final result… but do not be fooled by that first impression!
3. This recipe can also be used as a substitute for a side dish of rice, and goes very well with meat. In the photo above, it is presented accompanying a chicken skewer („şiş kebab“).
4. We normally discard the green part of the spring onion (just like with the leek), believing that it is not edible. But in this case, that green goes very well with the dish as a final detail.