I think having a love affair with rice is inherently part of the DNA of being an Asian. I was born in Singapore, the small island nation in Southeast Asia, and I grew up eating rice every single day. Whether it was a bowl of garlic shrimp fried rice, healthy chicken rice porridge, or a plate of steamed white rice to accompany a table full of main dishes, rice was always there. It’s safe to say then that the idea and thought of rice is almost as comforting and synonymous with the notion of home.
You can re-locate a person to an entirely different continent and culture, but it’s difficult to change their love for cuisines, particularly when you’re talking about food that is so deeply rooted in their home culture.
Even after moving from Singapore to Buenos Aires, Argentina, which has been home for me in the past four years, I’m fairly certain of one thing – rice will always be part of my diet. Eating rice is almost as heartwarming as hearing my grandmother’s voice at the other end of the telephone line, and while I adopted a mostly grain-free lifestyle this year, I’ve made an exception for rice.
Of course, I’ve limited the amount of rice that I eat, because its starchy nature means that too much of it is not so good for the waistline or the weighing scale. Rice also has a relatively high glycemic index (GI), which means that eating it results in a spike in your blood sugar levels. For these reasons, I try to cut down on my rice intake as much as my Asian cravings allow me to.
I’ve found a way to replace rice though. Want to know the secret?
The cauliflower, a tough and sturdy vegetable which may not be as popular as spinach or kale, is ideal for making “rice” – all in a quick and easy matter of minutes.
You begin by removing the leaves, and then cutting out the cauliflower florets (you can throw away the stalks or store them for another use). Rinse the florets under running water, and once cleaned, pulse them in small batches in a food processor. When you see that the florets have attained a couscous-like texture, stop pulsing.
This, my friends, is cauliflower “rice”.
Here’s a quick and easy way to use it as a rice replacement – and also one of my favorites.
Mince some garlic cloves and sauté the chopped garlic with a bit of oil in a large wok, swirling the garlic in the oil for about half a minute. As the garlic starts turning golden brown, add in the cauliflower “rice” and stir, letting it cook for five minutes. Make sure to mix the “rice” every now and then to prevent it from burning.
Once the cauliflower “rice” is cooked, sprinkle some curry powder on top, mix some more, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
There you have it – easy curried cauliflower rice in minutes!
Bon Appétit!
The cauliflower, a tough and sturdy vegetable which may not be as popular as spinach or kale, is ideal for making “rice” – all in a quick and easy matter of minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder (or more depending on how spicy you like it)
- ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head and cut it into small florets (removing the stalks)
- Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor in small batches until you get a couscous like texture
- Mince the garlic cloves and sauté garlic in a bit of oil in a large wok on low heat, swirling garlic in oil for about half a minute
- Once garlic starts turning golden brown, add in the cauliflower couscous and cook it for five minutes, mixing every now and then to prevent it from burning
- Once cauliflower rice is more or less cooked, sprinkle the curry powder on top and mix well until all the cauliflower rice has evenly turned a bright yellow
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley just before serving
Notes
Serves 2
Felicia is a Singaporean who’s currently located in Buenos Aires, also known as the “Paris of South America”. When she’d first moved to Argentina, she found herself grappling with the mysterious concept of cooking. Thankfully, with the help of cooking classes and constant practice in her tiny kitchen, she’s developed a love for cooking and with that, a passion for food blogging.... Read More
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