Indian Spiced Dirty Rice with Roasted Cauliflower

Indian Spiced Dirty Rice with Roasted Cauliflower

Modern traditional dirty rice flavored with Indian spices.

Indian Spiced Dirty Rice with Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 4 - 6

Recently, I made Chetna Markan’s recipe for Cumin rice (you can find her video here). It was absolutely delicious as an accompaniment to our meal. While enjoying it, I thought, what would happen if I were to combine Indian flavors with Cajun-style Dirty Rice? I have no idea why I connected the two but this is what resulted. Flavorful spiced rice with tender chunks of ground beef that I served with spiced roasted vegetables to make the meal complete.

This is a simple meal that comes together in under an hour. I served this with Yuja Cheong Slaw (recipe here) to add a fresh brightness as an accompaniment.

Recipe Tips:

1. I used a mix of broccoli and cauliflower for the roasted vegetables.
 

Ingredients

Beef

570g (1.25 lb) ground beef

4 t soy sauce

4 t mirin

2 t maesil

0.75 t gochugaru

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.50 t kosher salt 

Cauliflower

1 T vegetable oil

1.5 t kosher salt

1 t ground cumin

1 t garam masala

0.50 t gochugaru

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.50 t ground turmeric

0.50 t fennel seeds, ground

0.25 t 5 spice powder

1,135g (2.5 lbs) cauliflower, cut into large florets

2.5 T olive oil

Flavor base

2 T vegetable oil

3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

4 t cumin seeds

300g (1 large) onion, small dice

235g (1 large) red or green bell pepper, small dice

100g (1 stalk) celery, minced

15g (1 T) ginger, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 cheongyang or serrano chili, sliced - optional

1.5 T gochujang  

Rice Spice

1.25 t kosher salt

1.5 t garam masala

0.75 t garlic powder

0.75 t onion powder

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.50 t ground coriander

0.25 t ground ginger

0.25 t ground allspice

0.25 t ground nutmeg

0.25 t ground cardamom

0.25 t 5 spice powder

0.25 t ground clove 

Finishing

1.5 T mirin

700ml (3.5 c) water

3 T tsuyu or 2 T soy sauce

400g (2 c) basmati rice, rinsed and drained well

Recipe Know-how

Beef

1.      In a medium bowl, add the beef and its seasonings.

  • Mix well and leave to sit until needed.. 

Cauliflower

2.      Preheat an oven to 190 C / 375 F.

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

  • Add the vegetable oil and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.

3.      In a small bowl, combine the salt and spices mixing well.

  • In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil.

  • Add the spices and toss, mixing well while gently massaging the spice mix into the vegetable.

  • Carefully remove the pan from the oven and tilt to coat with the oil.

Use extreme caution as the pan and oil are very hot.

  • Pour the vegetables onto the pan and roast for 35 – 40 minutes or until well browned and tender.

Continue on with the rice while the vetetables roast.

Rice

4.      In a large pot, heat the flavor base oil over high heat.

  • Add the beef.

  • Cook for 7 – 10 minutes stirring occasionally until well browned.

  • Remove the beef to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan.

  • Add the flavor base spices and cook for 45 seconds stirring frequently.

  • Reduce the heat to medium-high.

  • Add the vegetables and cook 7 – 10 minutes or until wilted and lightly colored.

  • Add the rice spice mix and cook for 1 minute.

  • Add the gochujang and cook 1 minute longer.

  • Increase the heat to high.

  • Add the mirin and cook 30 seconds while scraping the fond from the pan.

  • Add the water and tsuyu stirring and scraping any remaining fond from the bottom of the pan.

  • Add the rice and beef.

  • Bring to a boil uncovered. Boil for 2 minutes.

  • Give a thorough stir. Cover.

  • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Check the vegetables and flip if necessary.

If they are browning to quickly, reduce the oven temperature for 180 C / 350 F.

  • Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork.

  • Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

  • Cover and allow to stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

5.      Serve with the vegetables and yuja cheong slaw.

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