Make the most of leftover rice and transform into a delicious dish. This easy, healthy Italian inspired recipe for Cauliflower rice balls/Arancini (Rice Balls) mixed with cheese, potatoes, cauliflower is a meal in one.
I wanted a perfect ending. I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, leaning into change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.
– Gilda Radner
I didn’t grown knowing Italian cuisine. When I first moved to San Francisco, my food and content was tailored to how my “former life” was, living with parents and family who loved and created the most amazing Indian dishes. Slowly, the Italian, American shows graced my regular television. Adding cheese to the unexpected, creating something new and changing direction can be daunting, but it’s also the best. While keeping my roots intact.
The first time I tried arancini was when I visited a restaurant in Santa Cruz. I loved it. It had rice, cheese and vegetables. Who could say no to that combo. As much as I enjoy having it outside, I love to make my own version with twists. Any South Indian household can vouch to having leftover rice, which works perfectly in this Cauliflower Rice Balls recipe.
I’ll never forget my first taste of arancini, as my eyes went wide at the sight of the baseball-sized rice balls coated in breadcrumbs, deep-fried and served atop a bed of bright red marinara. They were a total triple threat: crunchy, creamy and cheesy.
Although many arancini recipes begin with a risotto base, it’s perfectly acceptable to skip the 20-minute stir time and start with day-old rice. I love using cauliflower to amp up the healthy aspect. These cauliflower rice balls are inspired and taste similar, yet different.
I’ve made arancini with many types of rice, but some varieties prove more successful than others. For example, regular old Uncle Ben’s will only work if it’s particularly sticky. The best rice for arancini is actually sushi rice or sona masoori rice (despite how unauthentically Italian that may be!) because it is much more glutinous so it’s easy to work with.
Make sure you really squeeze the arancini together to make them as compact as possible. This will ensure the arancini hold their shape when frying. You can bake them or pan fry them if you prefer.
- Rice 1 cup cooked rice, short grain is a must. And cook it a little sticky and not very dry.
- cauliflower - ½ cup, minced
- 1 potato cooked and mashed
- ⅓ tsp toasted cumin powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ cup manchego or parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fine bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Take a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, finely minced cauliflower, mashed potato, egg, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, pepper and cheese. Use your clean hands and mix it very well. Use an icecream scoop and make equal portions. Roll it into a ball and set aside.
- Put the breadcrumbs on a plate. Take one rice ball and roll it really well in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
- At this point you can freeze these balls and deep fry them whenever you want to serve.
- Heat the oil. Deep fry the balls until dark golden brown. Take it out on a paper towel and serve with any sauce of your liking.
You can even spray the balls and bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Use a short grain rice and cook them well. The grains should be sticky.
If you make this Indian Arancini, please tag me #foodfashionparty on social media. Would love to see your take on it.
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What a great idea! Perfect for my low carb meal plan 🙂