Name: Cauliflower Biryani
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed; 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 10 garlic cloves, finely grated; 1 2” piece ginger, peeled, finely grated; ¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt; ¼ cup fresh lemon juice; 1 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste; 2 tsp. ground coriander; 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 1½ tsp. garam masala; 1 tsp. amchur powder (dry mango powder); 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder; 1 tsp. mustard oil; ½ tsp. garlic powder; ½. tsp. ground turmeric; 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 1 lb.), cut into 2” pieces or broken into florets; 15 black peppercorns; 6 cardamom pods, crushed; 6 cloves; 3 bay leaves; 2 whole black cardamom pods; 2 star anise; ½ stick cinnamon; 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp. ghee; 2 tsp. cumin seeds; 1 medium red onion, sliced; ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped; ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped; ¼ cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Cauliflower biryani topped with fresh herbs being served from a dutch oven.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

In biryani layers of rice and protein come together to create a luxurious meal. While this version isn’t made with cauliflower rice, swapping out some of the rice and meat for cauliflower is a perfect way to lower the carb count and fat, so this dish can be enjoyed by anyone who is watching carbohydrates for a more Type 2 diabetes–friendly diet. In my household biryani night is a special one that we look forward to. Though the dish may be a bit laborious to make, the payoff is well worth it. I’ve simplified the process by breaking down the recipe into a few essential steps. This recipe aims to keep salt in check for folks with health concerns around sodium; talk to your health care provider about how much salt is recommended for you.

This recipe has been selected as Type 2 diabetes–friendly by Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND; talk to your care provider about whether it’s right for you.