I have to admit that I’ve never really liked rice, not unless it was drenched in the sauce from several different Chinese food dishes from an authentic restaurant. When I first started eating low carb, I often made rice as a starch for my husband because it was so easy for me to abstain and just stick with my low-carb veggies. Now, we don’t eat rice at all except for very rare occasions when I’ll make some for my husband and kids. If a dish calls for rice (typically a stir fry or Indian-inspired dish), I make the standard Paleo substitute of cauliflower rice. But, I have to admit that, unless it’s going to be drowned in sauce, I find this just as boring and bland as rice itself. At least, I used to find it boring. I started playing with flavorings for cauliflower rice to jazz it up and make it stand alone as a flavor on the plate (no sauce required!). The inspiration for this variation comes from Asian flavors, almost reminiscent of sushi rice. This cauliflower rice has a mild enough flavor that it won’t compete with other flavors on your plate (so you can serve it with any variety of meats and vegetables) but all of a sudden, it isn’t just boring filler. I hope you enjoy this rice substitute as much as we do. It’s now one of our staples. Makes 4-5 servings.
Note: coconut water vinegar, which is used in this recipe, is very similar in flavor to rice vinegar (you could substitute apple cider vinegar, but it wouldn’t quite taste the same), so it’s fabulous for replicating Asian flavors. Coconut Secret
brand is available at Whole Foods and Amazon and Tropical Traditions also sell it.
Ingredients:
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- 1 small head of cauliflower (4-5 cups riced)
- 3 Tbsp tallow (or substitute lard, coconut oil or Unsalted Butter
) - 4-5 slices of Fresh Ginger (~1” diameter and 1/8” thick)
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp chives, chopped (or use a good quality Dried Chives)
- 1/8 tsp Salt, to taste
)
(~1” diameter and 1/8” thick)
, crushed
)
, to taste1. Trim cauliflower and place florets in a Food Processor
(you may have to do this in batches). Pulse until chopped to rice grain size. Set aside.
2. Heat tallow and ginger slices in a large frying pan
or Wok
over medium-high heat until fragrant and ginger has browned.
3. Remove ginger slices. Add cauliflower and garlic to the oil and cook, stirring frequently until cauliflower is cooked al dente (about 7-8 minutes).
4. Stir in vinegar, chives and salt. Enjoy!
This sounds great! My husband loves loves loves rice, so hopefully this will help him say no to the real thing
I tried this dish on Sunday with the intent to have it with my lemon-tarragon salmon over the course of the week – I ended up eating the whole Cauliflower dish that day. It was so delicious.
I tried the dish again on Tuesday, hoping to show more restraint but to no avail. I ate the whole thing again. I also added tarragon along with the chives. So good!
I am the opposite of you! I LOVE rice. I am half Korean and married to someone of Hispanic heritage – so rice was a popular staple in our house. For me, when others are having a hard time giving up pasta or sweets, I crave RICE. haha. Asian sticky rice, fried rice, Spanish rice…you get the idea. I have made cauliflower mash, but I have not ever attempted “ricing” it. I am excited to try this out! Thanks for sharing!
just finished using this “rice” recipe for my Paleo coconut chicken curry recipe. It’s the first time I’ve made riced cauliflower in a recipe and I must say it’s going to by my new fave staple for things like the dish I make tonight and for when my family wants spaghetti. I’ve just started making some small changes towards a low-card lifestyle b/c I have PCOS and I want to help my body fight this as naturally as I can!
I have never cooked cauliflower..ever (I am ashamed to admit). I recall that when my Mother used to have fresh cauliflower as a staple “snack food” (meaning she never cooked it, that I can remember..it was always a raw veggies n dip kind of snack), she would always soak it first in some concoction of water and whatever else. I’m not exactly sure why she did this — perhaps something to do with bugs? Anyways, my question for you is: do you do anything like this before cooking cauliflower? I think she also did this with broccoli.
Nope, I just give it a good rinse. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I am new to the AI scene, and I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere. Are you saying that rice of any kind should not be in the AI Paleo diet? Is that your preference because you don’t like it, or is it also for health reasons?
Rice of any kind is not included in the AIP for the same reasons grains are not included. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Can you freeze this? I want to make a giant batch tonight! Will it be ok to freeze some and re-heat as needed???
Yes. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
coconut VINEGAR? Is that popular? Never saw it… well, never looked for it! Unless a series of usages are forthcoming, I will use my vinegar on-hand.
Silly question- ginger slices are removed. Do they get added back in at the end or do they just flavor the fat?
You can do it either way. If you want a more subtle ginger flavor, don’t add them back in. I like a lot of ginger so I add them back in! -Kiersten
Can we use a blender instead of a food processor? Anyone tried and can share results?