Cauliflower "rice" with farro is spicy, tangy and so tasty. The light and fluffy cauliflower "rice" is paired with the chewy bite of farro, all wrapped in a lemony taste and aromatic spices.
Soak the yellow split peas in water and set aside.
Cook the farro in rice cooker with two to three times the volume in water. I used 1½ cups of water with salt as per taste. If using whole farro make sure to pre-soak it for 8 hours.
Shred the peeled carrots and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 ºF.
Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces and process it to a rice grain size. Spread it out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake it for about 10 to 12 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked but still firm.
Heat the peanut oil in a cooking pot. Add mustard seeds.
When the seeds start popping add the curry leaves and red chilies. Stir a few minutes. When the edges of the leaves start turning tan, add the ginger and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
Next add the peanuts and stir. When the peanuts are partially toasted, add the drained split peas and stir further until they turn a slight tan at the edges. Then stir the turmeric. Tip: You may also roast the peanuts separately.
Add carrots and green chilies. Stir and allow the carrots to cook few minutes .
Next add lemon juice and lemon zest.
Add the baked cauliflower rice, farro, cilantro, toasted coconut flakes, salt and combine all the ingredients well.
Adjust the salt, lemon juice and other seasonings as per taste.
Serve the spicy cauliflower rice with hemp seed chutney for more plant protein. Or with yogurt.
Notes
Instead of baking the grated/riced cauliflower, it may also be sautéed with 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Turmeric, mustard seeds, asafoetida, dry red chilies, coconut flakes and chana dal (a type of split chickpea, known as Bengal gram) are available at Indian grocery stores or online. Curry leaves are available at Indian grocery stores and can also be frozen.
Farro and coconut flakes are available at health food stores and sometimes at regular grocery stores too.
Readymade riced cauliflower is available at certain grocery stores, that can be searched online for your specific area.
Make sure to check out the cooking tips for cauliflower lemon rice in the post section above.
Nutrition facts not including added salt. Check for any added salt in other ingredients and adjust.