Veggie Fun With Cauliflower: Delicious Recipes for Kids

Cauliflower or gobi is a vegetable that is either loved or intensely disliked. As Indians, we normally end up eating cauliflower as aloo gobi ki sabzi or gobi mattar ki sabzi or gobi ka paratha. That can get pretty boring.  

But before you write this vegetable off you should know that this seasonal vegetable comes with benefits that make it a must-have on your meal plan.

Benefits Of Eating Cauliflower

• Contains high amounts of Vitamin C & K, potassium & folate
• Rich in antioxidants
• High in fibre
• Low in calories & aids weight loss
• Contains choline which is essential for brain development
• Has anti-inflammatory properties

Now with two kids in the house, I want them to enjoy this nutrition-packed veggie without turning up their noses. I’ve put together 5 recipes that make the humble gobi into things that they will gobble up – guaranteed. 

Try these out and don’t forget to tag us when you do. Tell us how fast they cleaned their plates!

Cauliflower Rice

Image Source: https://supervalu.ie/

We eat so much rice in our country. So if you have a way of making a rice dish for the family that is healthy then as a mom I’m sure you would love to try it. Cauliflower rice has become extremely popular and is a tasty option if you’re looking to lose weight.

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium size Cauliflowers, whole
• Salt

Method

• Grate/Rice the cauliflower using the big hole side on a hand grater. You could also pulse it in the food processor in spurts. We want it to be like rice grains. So keep an eye if you’re using the food processor.
• Heat water with salt in a pan. Add the cauliflower ‘rice’ to the water and let it cook for 5-7 minutes. We want to get rid of the raw taste and smell cauliflower gives when uncooked.
• The cauliflower rice should be a little overcooked.
• Your cauliflower rice is ready. You can now use this to make biryani, risotto or herbed pilaf. 

Note: Our in-house cauliflower rice expert says that sauteeing this in a few tsps of olive oil with chopped onions, basil, chopped parsley, bell peppers, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice makes a yum cauliflower rice dish that kids will love. 

Cauliflower Crust PIzza

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Now, who doesn’t enjoy pizza? We have a pizza crust recipe that is nutrition packed and you will be asking your kids to eat. Your kids will probably be ‘Mom is telling us to eat pizza? Wow!’ This low carb pizza crust is really good. Normally egg is used to bind this dough together. But if you don’t eat egg that’s ok, I have added an egg substitute in the notes.

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower – riced
• 1egg/ 1 ½ Tsp flax eggs (see note)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ Tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch 

Method

• Preheat oven to 190° C.
• Use the cauliflower rice recipe mentioned above. Once it is cooked drain in a fine mesh strainer & let it cool 5 minutes.
• Transfer cauliflower rice to a clean dish towel and wring out as much of the excess liquid as possible. This is extremely important since we need to remove all the moisture for the dough to hold together. You could alternately stir fry the cauliflower rice in a pan for 4-5 minutes. That will help dry it further.
• In a large mixing bowl, prepare the flax egg and let rest 5 minutes if using the substitute.
• Then add cauliflower rice, sea salt, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder, egg/egg substitute and corn starch.
• Stir to combine all the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as per your taste.
• Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little flour to help prevent the pizza from sticking when slicing.
• Use your hands to spread the dough in your pan. Keep the crust slightly less than a 1/2-inch thick.
• Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes until the top is dry and firm. The edges will be a little golden.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes to firm up a bit. Add your desired topping and sauce and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
• You healthy cauliflower crust pizza is ready to be served.

Notes

• 1 1/2 flax eggs is equivalent to 1 1/2 Tbsp (10 g) flaxseed + 4 Tbsp (60 ml) water.
• Use a fine-mesh sieve when straining the cauliflower rice otherwise, it will fall through.
• If you are using vegetables like onions and bell peppers as a topping, we recommend you sauté them separately before putting them on the pizza. They take time to cook.
• Since this is not a conventional pizza go light on the sauce or your crust may turn soggy.