Coconut Cauliflower rice is really simple to make and bursting with rich coconut flavor that is synonymous with most Caribbean rice dishes. In Guyana we call this dish, when it is made with real rice, Shine Rice. My late grandmother, Miss Inez Glen, made the best shine rice I've ever had. With just a few ingredients that dish was worthy of all of the praises. When I am not doing Whole30 I will share her recipe for those who are interested in making Shine Rice.
For this dish I made fresh cauliflower rice with a cauliflower I found in the back of my fridge. I forgot I picked it up while I was stocking up on groceries a few weeks ago. I rarely ever make fresh cauliflower rice and had intended to use this for a whole roasted cauliflower but I'm currently out of frozen cauliflower rice so had to use the next best thing
Why I prefer frozen cauliflower rice
I am probably in the minority here when I say I PREFER FROZEN CAULIFLOWER RICE. Here's why: I noticed a long time ago that the frozen cauliflower rice was all stems and none of the florets. This gave the riced cauliflower a coarser texture which for me (someone who grew up eating rice at least twice every day) this texture is closer to rice than the fresh cauliflower. I admit I am in the minority here as most people prefer making their own cauliflower rice versus buying frozen and often consider the fresh product more economical.
Making your own Riced Cauliflower
There are two methods and three options for ricing cauliflower. First there is the cheese grater method. This method is simple and requires a little bit of man power to grate the cauliflower using the shred side of your cheese grater, but it does the job!
Second option is to use a food processor. There are two ways of ricing the cauliflower with the food processor. One method is to use the regular blade and pulse pieces of cauliflower until it becomes the consistency you are looking for. Whenever I try this method I always end up with cauliflower crumbs and mush.
Another method is to use a shred blade. This is my favorite method when using the food processor. I always end of with riced cauliflower that is the consistency of long grain rice, which is perfect for the dish I am making.
My food processor came with this attachment as well as a slicer/mandoline attachment. Click here to see the food processor that I have. This is an amazon affiliate link. It doesn't cost you anything extra if you use this link to purchase a food processor but I get a little bit of money. Thanks, in advance.
If you like more of a toasted cauliflower rice, feel free to spread this out on a sheet pan and broil for a minute or two to dry it out a bit.
Making the coconut cauliflower rice
This dish requires 5 ingredients, Four if you don't like spicy, and comes together in 10 minutes. P.s I am not counting salt as an ingredient here!
Green onions, garlic and a wiri wiri pepper (a Guyanese chili pepper) are sautéed in a saucepan. Then cooked in coconut milk for a few minutes before adding the riced cauliflower.
After mixing the riced cauliflower with the other ingredients I sauté everything for another 5 minutes and then it's done. This is a great side dish, if you are looking for a low carb option that still has some of the Caribbean flavor and richness you've come to love.
The Printable Coconut Cauliflower Rice Recipe:
Printable Recipe Card
Coconut Cauliflower Rice {Whole30}
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower riced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic grated
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup of coconut milk I prefer this one from Thai Kitchen when making cauliflower rice dishes
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 wiri wiri pepper finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed (optional).
Instructions
- Add coconut oil to a large skillet on medium heat
- Bring coconut oil to temperature then add the green onions, garlic and wiri wiri pepper (if using)
- Sauté until the garlic is soft (about one minute), then add the coconut milk
- Let the coconut milk cook down for a little, this should take about two minutes, before adding the riced cauliflower
- Then add the riced cauliflower and salt
- Sauté for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often to ensure that all the coconut milk and seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the dish
- Remove from the heat and serve warm
Try these other Yummy Cauliflower Rice Recipes:
Cauliflower Rice and Split Peas
Cauliflower Chicken and Veggies Fried Rice
Caitlin M says
This recipe I made, it was the first time I have ever made cauliflower rice. It was delicious! I used two habanero peppers as a substitute to the wiri wiri pepper. Highly recommend!
Althea Brown says
Yummy. Thanks so much for sharing.
Althea Brown says
Yummy
Alexa says
This is my favorite recipe for cauliflower rice, hands down. So flavorful and quick to make!
Althea Brown says
Thank you for sharing.