Organic, Gluten-Free Copycat Recipe of Mendocino Farms’ Curried “Couscous”

We recently had a Mendocino Farms open near us and with just one catered event at our office, my whole department is hooked in their curried couscous.

This yellow goodness is so delectable – highly addictive but also VERY OILY, I’m guessing from the veganaise?

Many of us vowed to make it ourselves to save some cash, but as always I try to make recipes that make my favorite eating out dishes more sustainable for me – to eat it more often I try to make the dishes a bit healthier and gluten free. I’m fine with wheat and gluten in small amounts, but I feel best when I have little to none. Also when I try to make gluten-free options, for me that is also more about making less processed options.

If you’ve had Mendocino Farm’s curried couscous and wanted to make it yourself, you’ve most likely already found the LA Times’ recipe of it: https://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/05/food/la-fo-sos-curried-couscous-20140405

I’ve definitely used this version as the base of mine.

To make mine gluten free I add more cauliflower (there is just a pitiful amount in the Mendocino Farms version) and I use short grain brown rice.

Are you sad I don’t have an overwhelming, detail-filled and long winded story preceding my recipe? Sorry I hate that kind of thing. When I’m looking for a recipe I want to get down to business – I don’t want lots of unrelated pictures, anecdotes or even a video of the recipe. I want a bulleted list! So that’s how I write.

Gluten Free CopyCat Mendocino Farms’ Curried Cauliflower Couscous Ingredients:

• 2 cups “riced” cauliflower. Preferably organic. Trader Joe’s makes a frozen organic cauliflower rice that is easy to use. (I LOVE cauliflower. Sometimes I make this even more cauliflower and no rice)
• 1 organic white or sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 TB organic coconut oil
• 1/3 cup dry organic brown rice
• 1/3 cup of organic culinary coconut milk (coconut cream)
• A dash of organic cayenne pepper, to taste
• 2 TSP organic curry powder
• 1 TSP organic turmeric powder
• 1 TSP organic cumin powder
• 1 TSP organic coriander powder
• 3 large organic carrots, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 to 1/2 bunch of cilantro, to taste

Ingredients for my gluten-free organic version of Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous. I also add more vegetables than they have. The lime isn’t really necessary.

Gluten Free CopyCat Mendocino Farms’ Curried Cauliflower Couscous Recipe Directions:

• Heat a pan to medium high and melt the coconut oil. Add your chopped onion and chopped carrots and cook for about 8 minutes or until onions are translucent and fragrant.
• Cook your organic brown rice per package instructions except use the coconut milk as part of your liquid, and the rest water. (Alternatively, you could cook your brown rice with just water and then add in the coconut milk later as you are mixing in all ingredients).
• Once the onions are tender, added in the riced cauliflower per package ingredients / cook the fresh riced cauliflower in the pan with the onions for about 5 minutes until tender.
• Chop the stems of the cilantro to make about a tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro stems. Add to the onion and cauliflower mixture and cook for about a minute. (I learned about using cilantro stems to cook from Hello Fresh).
• Set the flame to low for the onion and cauliflower mixture and add the seasoning, then add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the seasoning to the onion and cauliflower mixture.
• The rice should be about done right now. Add the rice cooked in coconut milk to the pan and blend well.
• Add the chopped cilantro leaves and a dash of cayenne pepper, to taste, and stir.
• Serve warm or chill in the fridge to enjoy! This can serve 2 very hungry people like me or 4 individual portions.

Optional: up to 1 tablespoon of organic maple syrup if you like it sweet, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I’ve also tried this recipe adding lime or not adding lime and I prefer no squeezes of lime.