Saturday 21 December 2013

Spicy fried 'rice' (aka cauliflower but don't tell the kids)



When I originally wrote this post we were grain free - we now have rice again but still enjoy cauliflower rice as a lighter alternative.

Rice was always one of our favourites and fried rice was a weekly staple.  When I saw you could make mock rice with cauliflower I never believed this would fool my kids. However due to the addition of peas and spices they have never guessed it is vegetable based, let alone the dreaded cauliflower. Although it is called spicy rice it simply has flavour - there is no off putting hotness.  However if you are all hardened curry fans you could up the curry powder or add in some chillies.

It does require a bit of faffing about getting the water out of the cauliflower but honestly, its worth it when the kids eat it all and ask for more!

I have specified when to add curry powder, peas etc but have often forgot the order when trying to cook and do homework with kids and it still works fine.  The most important thing is to ensure the onions are soft before adding the cauliflower and not being shy with the oil. (It's a very healthy oil and a good way to get the right kind of calories into kids)

What I love about this dish is you can very easily serve the kids and then reheat later for adults, throwing in some additional chillies or serving with a chilli sauce for more adult palates.  It goes well with roast chicken, chops, even oily fish like mackerel and salmon.

We make it using coconut oil.  If you are not following GAPS  you could use olive oil (be careful with the heat)

We use a ready made curry powder because we can buy it from a local store where we trust it has no hidden ingredients.

Ingredients

1 cauliflower
1 onion, chopped (can use red or white but my kids object to red)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp of medium curry powder
Peas (enough for a decent portion per person)
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut oil for frying

Recipe
1.  Wash and dry the cauliflower.  Whizz it up in food processor
2.  Using kitchen paper or a clean tea towel pat the cauliflower to remove some water
3.  Heat at least 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a wok. Once hot reduce to a low to medium heat
4.  Fry the onion for a few minutes until it is starting to go translucent.  Add the garlic and the curry powder and add for a few minutes.
5.  When the onions are soft add in the cauliflower.  You may need to add more oil. Cook for 5 minutes.  In another pan bring some peas to the boil and then drain.
6 Add the peas to the cauliflower and season.
7. Cook for another few minutes until the cauliflower tastes soft and cooked (I have found this can vary from cauliflower to cauliflower and heat used etc so it  is always best to go with what tastes right rather than rely on an exact timing)


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