Rice alternatives

[Leadinglights]

Somebody mentioned Konjac rice and having found some in B & M I thought we would give them a try. Well all I can say is, they have no redeeming features. Smelt fishy, no flavour, unpleasant texture, horrible!!!!!! They went in the bin.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Oh dear! Sorry to hear this.

Whenever I see alternatives I frown as they rarely live upto expectations. I prefer moderation and replacements I enjoy so I have a 'dirty salad' which is all my fav veg with peppers, tortilla strips, sweetcorn and whatever else I want and have it with almost everything I would rice.

Hopefully you'll find something that meets your needs soon.

 

[mikeyB]

What were you using rice for? If it was to go with a curry, I often serve a mix of fried red, green and yellow peppers with crushed garlic thrown in for 90 seconds and stirred around with a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Hardly any carbs and really tasty.

I do serve rice (the real thing) depending on the recipe, but then I’m T1 and can take the hit.

You can forget cauliflower rice, it’s completely the wrong mouth feel, and gets mushed up with the sauce on top. Konjac rice is made from the root of the eponymous tree and like a lot of oriental vegetables it is preserved in brine, which gives it that odd fishy smell that you can’t get rid of, no matter what you do. I think it’s an abomination. Tesco warn you about that smell, I think to stop folk sending it back as rotten.

Rice, of course, should be fluffy and just cooked served separately*, but in this country we’ve been conditioned to plonking the sauce on top. I blame Vesta for that, if you are old enough to remember those horrible Vesta curries.

* I’ve got an electric rice cooker that does that perfectly

 

[Leadinglights]

What were you using rice for? If it was to go with a curry, I often serve a mix of fried red, green and yellow peppers with crushed garlic thrown in for 90 seconds and stirred around with a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Hardly any carbs and really tasty.

I do serve rice (the real thing) depending on the recipe, but then I’m T1 and can take the hit.

You can forget cauliflower rice, it’s completely the wrong mouth feel, and gets mushed up with the sauce on top. Konjac rice is made from the root of the eponymous tree and like a lot of oriental vegetables it is preserved in brine, which gives it that odd fishy smell that you can’t get rid of, no matter what you do. I think it’s an abomination. Tesco warn you about that smell, I think to stop folk sending it back as rotten.

Rice, of course, should be fluffy and just cooked served separately*, but in this country we’ve been conditioned to plonking the sauce on top. I blame Vesta for that, if you are old enough to remember those horrible Vesta curries.

* I’ve got an electric rice cooker that does that perfectly

I hadn't had rice in over a year so thought I would give it a try to go with the curry, I have been just have been having half a homemade bread roll. Cauliflower rice has been OK in a stir fry so it gets the flavours. As you say the Konjac rice is an abomination to put it mildly.
Yes I do remember the Vesta curries.

 

[Totalwar]

Cauliflower rice suppose to be ok.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear it was such a disappointment

 

[AndBreathe]

I hadn't had rice in over a year so thought I would give it a try to go with the curry, I have been just have been having half a homemade bread roll. Cauliflower rice has been OK in a stir fry so it gets the flavours. As you say the Konjac rice is an abomination to put it mildly.
Yes I do remember the Vesta curries.

Leadinglights, if you like cauli rice in a stirfry, then perhaps consider creating your own cauli Pilau rice? When I do cauli rice it always has quite a bit of spicing with it.

I do mine in a hot wok, either dry frying it (which almost sort of toasts it), or with a little oil (chilli or garlic often). Once it gets going I add the relevant spices - pilau for Indian, paella for those flavours, and so on.

Usually with curry, I just have more of the deliciousness - the curry itself, and just ignore the carrier (the rice). It works for me, but not necessarily for everyone else.

 

[Leadinglights]

Leadinglights, if you like cauli rice in a stirfry, then perhaps consider creating your own cauli Pilau rice? When I do cauli rice it always has quite a bit of spicing with it.

I do mine in a hot wok, either dry frying it (which almost sort of toasts it), or with a little oil (chilli or garlic often). Once it gets going I add the relevant spices - pilau for Indian, paella for those flavours, and so on.

Usually with curry, I just have more of the deliciousness - the curry itself, and just ignore the carrier (the rice). It works for me, but not necessarily for everyone else.

Thankyou for that suggestion, definitely worth a try.

 

[mikeyB]

Cauli rice could be used for making Korean style egg fried rice. Bit of oil in the wok, toss in the rice, add finely sliced spring onion, very finely diced carrot, and a handful of cooked shrimps or small prawns. Keep tossing all the while, then add two beaten eggs and stir snd toss like mad. Stir in a tablespoon of sesame oil at the end and bung it on a plate. That’s fast street food, a nice tasty lunch and no spices.

It’s easier with real rice, just requires keeping the grains separate.

 

[NickyT]

I really like cauli rice, I buy the frozen bags from the supermarket. Nuke then egg fry with tamari sauce.
The Barenaked rice is the best konjac rice I've found. You do have to rinse it for ages and ages to get rid of the smell. I egg fry that too.