I have always loved pasta and rice dishes. I still do. I could eat them every single day. Several times a day. Comforting Italian pasta dishes, spicy Asian rice dishes, there are so many great recipes. But when you’re trying to cut down on your carb intake, those dishes won’t exactly help you with that.

However, there is a great alternative. Cauliflower!

Growing up, I only knew one way to eat cauliflower and it actually made me hate it: cooked to mush and smothered in a floury béchamel sauce. It wasn’t until sometime in my twenties, that I discovered also other ways to eat cauliflower. Raw with a dip, cooked al dente with various spices and sauces, au gratin… And so I learned to appreciate this veg. But never would I have thought that cauliflower, one day, might become one of my favorite vegetables. Yet it just might get there.

Cauliflower can actually be used in so many dishes: stir fried rice dishes, pies and casseroles, as a pizza base, in muffins. And the list goes on. I was a bit reluctant to use it as a main ingredient for our family dinners, as I didn’t know how the kids would react. But in many cases, they didn’t even notice anything. Now they know and they don’t mind. Not at all.

Usually, the cauliflower is just an ingredient in disguise in a dish. But now I thought it was time for this little gem to step out into the light. Starring: Coconut “Rice”. Simple, only a few ingredients. Delicious with a curry, like my mild chicken curry!

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Coconut Cauli-Rice

Servings 4 servings

Author Nicole

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 3 tbsp coconut cream (solid part of a can)

Instructions

1. Cut the cauliflower in smaller pieces and 'rice' it in a food processor. Don't put in too much!

2. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet or wok. Add the cauli-rice and stir fry 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the desiccated coconut and stir fry another 2 minutes.

4. Add coconut cream and stir fry 5 to 10 minutes. Exact cooking time depends on the desired doneness. I like mine a little bit al dente.

5. When done, add salt and pepper to taste (do not add salt earlier as it extracts moisture and the 'rice' might get soggy).

6. Optional add-ins: cilantro, lime juice/zest, spices...