• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.

Rice Substitutes

M

mckayz86

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,

Please can I get some rice substitute ideas?

I absolutely love rice and we have it quite a lot as my husband enjoys cooking curries. But I obviously need to eat less of it. I have tried to make cauliflower rice but just ended up with a soggy mess.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received, thank you.
 
Cauli rice seems to be the most popular rice substitute.
However, I don't bother - I just have more of the yummy curry and sides and don't miss the rice. And especially not the cauli rice which tastes of cauliflower 😱
 
There is Konjac rice. I use it occasionally and it is important to rinse it really thoroughly as the liquid it comes in to preserve it smells a bit weird/fishy, but provided you do rinse it well it takes a couple of minutes in the microwave and works fine for me. Mostly I have my curry with extra veg like on a bed of microwaved shredded cabbage or broccoli or butternut squash, or I have a big dollop of coleslaw with it. I still haven't tried cauli rice but mashed cauli works well as a potato mash sub and I do like raw cauliflower with a curry. Maybe you just overcooked your cauli rice. It only needs a minute in the microwave I believe and I certainly wouldn't cook it in boiling water or anything like normal rice. Maybe a few mins in a frying pan with butter, but it already contains plenty of water, so it needs very little cooking.
 
I love Cauliflower Rice but not homemade, I can never get it how I like it.

Morrisons do ‘Steam and Serve’ Cauliflower Rice (frozen) and honestly I can’t do without it. Really really good stuff.

4 minutes in the microwave, I whack it in a frying pan on high heat, add salt, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and whatever veg I’m fancying.

Alternatively it does go well with sauces if you’re fancying a curry or whatnot 🙂

Holland & Barrett do zero carb rice which I have some of thanks to Mr Quill but haven’t tried yet, the reviews are amazing though.
 
I tried making cauliflower rice and did not enjoy it. I will have half a naan on the side of the curry which keeps me to my ragged of 30g of carbs, or just a small portion of normal brown rice.
 
I stopped using pasta, rice and noodles quite some time ago. Instead, I bought myself a spiralizer, which turns vegetables into noodles. Mostly, I use this for courgettes and carrots.
 
The main brand name for konjac rice that you will find in supermarkets is "Bare Naked" and you can get rice or noodles. I have bought cheaper versions in the likes of B&M stores but the main supermarkets sell the Bare Naked brand, so it's not like you have to go to a specialist shop like Holland and Barrett for them.
 
I don't bother with rice with curry but have used cauliflower rice in stir fry which Is OK. I use edamame or black bean pasta or noodles which are low carb.
I tried the Konjac rice but I didn't like it at all, it went in the bin.
 
mckayz86 said:
I will have a look at the frozen cauliflower rice, hopefully it'll be nicer than my attempts to make it!
I will go take a look at Holland and Barrett and the Konjac rice.
Click to expand...
There's also the FullGreen one, which takes just 2 minutes in the microwave. I have it with a chasseur, chilli-con-carne or stroganoff and I don't get any hint of cauliflower with those dishes.
 
I steam frozen cauliflower and then rough chop it before putting it in the halogen oven to keep warm and dry out on a perforated metal plate or in a sieve whilst making the actual curry. The drying out is probably the difference. I use the 'thaw' setting so it doesn't start to get crispy.
 
Morrisons to a fairly passable cauliflower rice but what I've started doing now with chilli con carne (I can't pretend I've tried it with curry) is adding veggies to the sauce to bulk it out and just having the sauce on its own. I generally add broad beans or broccoli.
 
As above, cauliflower rice, job done.... 😎
 
Deb_l said:
,,, what I've started doing now with chilli con carne (I can't pretend I've tried it with curry) is adding veggies to the sauce to bulk it out and just having the sauce on its own.
Click to expand...
In the same vein, I simply chop up and stir fry onion, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, carrot, swede, squash etc and use that as base or accompaniment for protein (eggs, tinned fish, chicken, meat, cheese etc), Sometimes with passata or chopped tomatoes. Occasionally with some oats, barley or beans.

I don't think about substitutes. It's just a way of cooking the ingredients on my list. Rice is not on that list.

On New Years Eve we went to a party at the village hall organised by the local Bangladeshi restaurant (winner of last year's best in region award). There were five dishes at the buffet: rice, two chicken, two vegetable. The rice was delicious, but so were the chicken dishes and the vegetables. I had a taste of the rice and made a pig of myself on the other four.
 
Last edited:
I love cauliflower in any shape or form but caul rice from fresh needs to be well blitzed and cooked without any water I find. Made a super cauliflower and squash soup this week with cumin and coconut milk. Recipe said sweet potato btu had squash in the freezer.
 
EMcKT said:
I love cauliflower in any shape or form but caul rice from fresh needs to be well blitzed and cooked without any water I find. Made a super cauliflower and squash soup this week with cumin and coconut milk. Recipe said sweet potato btu had squash in the freezer.
Click to expand...
Lower carb as well. You have given me an idea as I have half a tin coconut milk in the fridge.
 
rebrascora said:
The main brand name for konjac rice that you will find in supermarkets is "Bare Naked" and you can get rice or noodles. I have bought cheaper versions in the likes of B&M stores but the main supermarkets sell the Bare Naked brand, so it's not like you have to go to a specialist shop like Holland and Barrett for them.
Click to expand...
Hope it's good, have just bought some to try with tonight's curry o_O
 
Cauliflower pilau rice works well, but then again, I like cauliflower curry.
I find the 'Konjac' noodles/rice quite good with stir fries and dhals.
I alternate between egg noodles and konjac - I find a portion of egg noodles doesn't cause me an issue - might be between 6-7 two hours later, but doesn't go hyper.
 
Have you tried Carbzone rice or pasta? It is made of soya and pea protein which ok for us diabetics. It has 4g of carbs per 45g serving. I use the pasta and it doesn’t taste any different to normal pasta, think I will get some of the rice too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top