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This is the lightest and healthiest version of coconut rice yet. It gets its spice from the pepper, it’s crunch from the nuts and it’s yumminess from the coconut oil, milk and shaved coconut. This coconut and cashew cauliflower rice is delicious.

An important note here: when cauliflower became all the rage as a substitute for rice, I immediately thought “hey, it looks like rice, it’s a veggie and this will be good.” My mistake? The products I used. I grabbed frozen cauliflower and immediately decided I hated that vegetable. I haven’t eaten a lot of it over the years but I immediately did not like it. There was a real pungent smell and it was like mush on my tongue. This was not going to work. BUT, I kept hearing about it and seeing these great recipes so I kept trying. Finally, one day I’m at the supermarket in the produce department and saw a bag of fresh cauliflower pearls. I bought that and it changed my whole opinion…it wasn’t the vegetable I didn’t like, it was the version/product I was buying. Frozen just does not work for me. (It may be fine for you but if you’ve experienced the same thing I did, try fresh.)

Of course, now I also buy my own head of cauliflower and break it up in my food processor but for convenience and a great go to food to have on hand, the already broken down fresh veggie in the produce department is the way to go. I use it for stir-fries, in soups, etc.

And that is all I have to say about that!!! Buy fresh…when it comes to cauliflower there is no substitute as far as I’m concerned.

How to make coconut and cashew cauliflower rice

To get started, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet on your stove top or grill. Add the white and light green parts of the scallions and the Serrano peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes until the veggies are soft and fragrant. Add the cumin seeds and stir for about a minute.

One note on the pepper: I don’t like a lot of heat so I use 1/4 – 1/2 of a Serrano pepper. But you need to be careful since I find the heat level on peppers can vary greatly. One Serrano pepper can be pretty mild, while the next one knocks my socks off. So, I prefer to star out with just a little. You can also substitute an even milder pepper like jalapeno and if you don’t want any heat, a green or red bell pepper. You decide.

Add the coconut milk and cook for another minute. Then, add the cauliflower, salt and pepper and stir and cook for about five minutes to soften the cauliflower. Don’t overcook. You still want the cauliflower to retain its structure and be slightly firm. If you need to add a little more coconut milk, go right ahead. Add up to another 1/4 cup if you think it needs more moisture to come together.

Add the coconut, dark green onion, cashews and zest of the lime. (save the zested lime for another use). Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

This recipe is basically a coconut cauliflower rice. I added the cashews for crunch but you could omit them and you’ll just have cauliflower coconut rice. Not a fan of cashews? Try almonds, walnuts, pistachios or macadamia nuts as a substitute. This recipe is flexible, so make it your own. Spoon into a serving bowl.

Serve the rice with wedges of fresh lime for one tasty side dish. This goes great with salmon and chicken. You might want to try it with my Cedar Plank Salmon in the Oven or my Honeyed Roasted Garlic Salmon.

Do you like this recipe? If so, please leave a rating and comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Do you like fresh veggie side dishes? Be sure to try some of my other favorites.

Elote Corn Ribs Recipe (Riblets)

Spicy Pineapple and Basil Coleslaw

Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Almonds

Acorn Squash, Feta, Pomegranate & Cinnamon Glaze

Gremolata Stacked Sweet Potatoes