by Varsha Sivaram
THE buzz over a Health Promotion Board (HPB) study that linked white rice to diabetes might have died down, but the health conscious are still substituting rice with other alternatives. We’ve talked about the different types of rice besides white, but what about skipping out on the grain altogether?
Popular reasons for forsaking rice include low-carbohydrate diets, a desire for more fiber, and simply to make meals more diverse. Superfoods like quinoa – a grain crop with edible, starchy seeds that are rich in protein – and sorghum have garnered a solid reputation as substitutes. However, there’s another side to them besides nutrition: Like a lot of organic goods, they’re expensive.
We’ve rounded up a few alternatives that won’t break the bank, from grains to even vegetables.
1. Cauliflower
An emerging favourite among foodies, the rice-like texture and look of the vegetable, as well as its lack of a strong flavour, makes it a popular substitute for rice. As for nutrition, the florets clock in at 25 calories per 100 grams, as opposed to about 140 calories in cooked white rice. Cauliflower is also rich in vitamins C and K, and a good source of dietary fibre.
Simply pulse it for a few seconds in a food processor – so that it does not end up puréed instead – or grate it finely to achieve the look of rice. Then, cook it as you might regular cauliflower: With some olive oil or butter on the stove, or on a tray in the oven.
Options include Australian Cauliflower, priced at $14.83/kg from Redmart, and regular cauliflower, priced at $3.21/kg from Fairprice.
Recipes
1. Healthy Cauliflower Rice – Food Network
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, separated into 1-inch florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
Trim the cauliflower florets, cutting away as much stem as possible. In 3 batches, break up the florets into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles couscous.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. At the first wisp of smoke from the oil, add the onions, and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown at the edges and have softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Spoon the cauliflower into a large serving bowl, garnish with the parsley, sprinkle with the lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Serve warm.
2. Fried Cauliflower – Kitchn
Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower
1/2 pound (8 slices) thick-sliced bacon, optional
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cashews, almonds, or other nut
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or if gluten-free, 1 to 2 tablespoons tamari)
Directions:
Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding the tough inner core. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces. You should have 5 to 6 cups of cauliflower “rice.”
Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Once cooled, roughly chop into pieces. Drain off all but a teaspoon of bacon grease (or use 1 teaspoon vegetable oil), reserving the grease.
Place the pan back over medium-high heat. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the skillet. Quickly scramble the eggs or make an omelet. Transfer the eggs to a cutting board and roughly chop into pieces.
Wipe the skillet clean and warm 1 tablespoon of bacon grease or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and sauté until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Stir the corn, peas, and cauliflower “rice” into the pan, mixing the ingredients thoroughly.
Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in the bacon, eggs, green onions, cashews, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce to taste. Serve immediately.
2. Couscous
Known most commonly as a Moroccan staple, these balls of semolina are actually common across North Africa, and have made their way to our plates as well. Rich in protein, dietary fibre, and vitamins, it’s a whole grain substitute with no lack of nutrition.
Cooking couscous is straightforward: Bring water to a boil, toss the couscous in, let them cook until your desired texture and fluff it up before serving.
Options include San Remo Couscous, priced at $7/kg from Redmart, and Casino Couscous from Cold Storage, priced at $4.70/kg.
Recipes
1. Roasted veg & couscous salad – BBC Good Food
Ingredients:
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, halved and deseeded
½ butternut squash
2 courgette, thickly sliced
4 garlic cloves, leave skin on
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, thickly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp harissa paste
50g whole blanched almonds
250g couscous
300ml hot vegetable stock
zest and juice 1 lemon
20g pack mint, roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut peppers and squash into bite-size pieces (leave skin on the squash). Tip all the veg into a baking tray, add garlic, 2 tbsp oil and seasoning, then mix and roast for 20 mins. Add onion, cumin, harissa and almonds. Roast for another 20 mins, then cool.
Put couscous into a large bowl, pour over the stock, cover, then set aside for 10 mins. Fluff up with a fork.
In a bowl, mix zest, juice and remaining oil. Squeeze garlic pulp from skins into the bowl, mash well and fold in the mint. Pour over the veg, then toss with the couscous.
2. Salmon and couscous – Jamie Oliver
Ingredients:
75 g couscous
120 g salmon fillet , skin on, scaled and pinboned
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 small courgette , sliced into batons
1 small handful asparagus tips
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes , roughly chopped
½ lemon , juice of
1 small handful fresh coriander , roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fat-free natural yoghurt
Directions:
Put your couscous in a bowl, then pour over just enough boiling water to cover it. Set aside for 3 minutes to allow the couscous to soak up the water.
Slice the salmon widthways into finger-size strips, drizzle with olive oil, and season with pepper and a small pinch of salt. Heat a small non-stick frying pan and add the salmon strips on their side.
Scatter over the courgette, asparagus tips and chilli and cook for 2 minutes, turning the salmon over halfway.
Mix the tomatoes, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the coriander into the couscous and season to taste.
Remove the salmon strips to a plate and add the couscous to the veggies left in the pan. Mix together and then put the salmon strips back into the pan on top of the couscous, place a lid on and put back on a high heat for a minute.
To serve, slide everything on to your plate and spoon over some yoghurt.
3. Lentils
If you’re looking to avoid carbohydrates, this alternative is not your best option. But if an enhancement of the nutrients in rice is what you’re after, lentils are a strong contender as substitutes. Lentils have higher protein levels per cup, as well as less fat, than rice. The legumes also come in several varieties of their own: Brown, green, and red are some broader categories to get you started. If you’re on the lookout in an ordinary supermarket, brown lentils are the easiest of the three to find. While they have a slightly earthy flavour, the green varieties are more peppery, while the reds have more of a sweet and nutty taste.
The ratio is simple: Three cups of salted water – or any stock, if you want more flavour – to one cup of dry lentils. Bring them to a boil over the stove, and then let them simmer. You will know that they’re cooked when they are tender in texture, but take note that they can double or triple in size upon cooking. Lentils also take longer than rice to cook; red lentils in particular.
Options include Progresso Black Beans, priced at $4.94/kg from Redmart, and Raitip Red Kidney Beans, priced at $3.90/kg from Fairprice.
Recipes
1. One Pot Lentils and Rice – Food.com
Ingredients:
1 cup dry green lentils
6 1⁄2 cups water
4 -5 garlic cloves
1 -2 bay leaf
1⁄2 tablespoon cumin seed
1 pinch cinnamon
2 cups basmati rice
1⁄2-1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Cover the lentils with the water.
Peel and crush the garlic cloves lightly with the back of a knife. Leave the cloves whole, so that they flavor the dish but can be removed if desired. (I leave them out of the kids’ portions, and give them to my DH and myself).
Add garlic to the pot, along with the bay leaves, cumin seeds and cinnamon. (DO NOT add salt at this point, as lentils will not cook properly).
Bring to a boil. Cook at a boil until the lentils are just tender. This should take about 25 minutes, but may take longer dependig on the age of your lentils.
Add the rice, salt and olive oil, and bring back to a boil.
Stir, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.
Check to make sure the rice is done, adjust seasonings, and serve. If there is still too much liquid in the pan, just let it sit uncovered for a few minutes.
2. Lebanese Lentils, Rice and Caramelized Onions (Mujadara) – Food Network
Ingredients:
1 cup brown or green lentils (not lentils du Puy), sorted for debris and rinsed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
3/4 cup basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons pine nuts, optional
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Greek yogurt, for serving, optional
Directions:
Throw the lentils into a medium saucepan. Fill with enough cold water to cover the lentils by about an inch. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, grab a large skillet. Pop it over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow the oil to warm for a minute, then drop in the cumin seeds and cracked peppercorns and cook, shaking the pan once in a while until the cumin seeds darken a touch, about 1 minute.
Add the onions, sprinkle with a dash of salt and cook until they turn dark caramel brown, stirring often. This will take about 15 minutes. Splash the onions with a little water if they stick to the bottom of the pan. You’ll know they’re done both by their deep chestnut color and by the slight crispiness developing on some of the onions.
Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove about half of the onions to a paper towel-lined plate; these are for garnish later. Sprinkle in the ground cumin, cayenne and then add the cinnamon stick; saute about 1 minute.
Add the rice and cook, stirring often (but gently so you don’t break the rice!) until some rice grains start to brown. Quickly, add the cooked lentils, 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low so that the pan is at a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and rice should be tender. (If there’s still too much water in the bottom, put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes.)
Turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and allow the rice to steam undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts, if using, in a small skillet over medium-low heat, shaking often, about 5 minutes.
Taste the rice for seasoning. Serve with the reserved caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts, if using, and a little squeeze of lemon juice.
4. Barley
Barley pearls aren’t just restricted to drinks. With their relatively low calorie count, high fibre content and low carbohydrate levels, the grains have the look, feel, and nutritional value to qualify as solid contenders for a rice substitute. Be wary, however, of their slightly higher sodium content.
You can even cook the pearls the same way that you would rice, but with just a little bit more water. Three parts of water to one part of barley will do the trick.
Options include Ayam Brand White Pearl Barley, priced at around $5.56/kg at Fairprice, and Pagoda Finest Pearl Barley, priced at $2.75/kg from Redmart.
Recipes
1. Mushroom Barley – Food Network
Ingredients and directions:
Cook 2 sliced onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes.
Saute 3/4 pound sliced cremini mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter.
Cook 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking barley in chicken broth as the label directs, then toss with the mushrooms, onions, some dill and salt.
2. White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew – allrecipes
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
3 cups water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
minced 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 cup small fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons white wine
1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups fresh spinach
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Directions:
Bring the barley and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender.
Season with rosemary. Mix the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine into the pot, and cook 5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with red pepper flakes.
Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
Featured image Quinoa by Flickr user Judit Klein. (CC BY-ND 2.0).
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