Make your own vegetable rice

We’re seeing more and more recipes using ‘rice’ made from cauliflower or broccoli, as well as pre-packaged rice in the supermarkets. It’s super healthy and a convenient way to eat an extra portion of vegetables. It’s also a very nice substitute for ordinary rice because there is much more flavour in vegetables than regular white rice! Did you know vegetable rice isn’t limited to cauliflower and broccoli? You can also make rice from carrot, beetroot, sweet potato and pumpkin – and the best part, you can do it yourself in just two easy steps.

Step 1: Grate

Choose the vegetable you want to turn into rice and roughly cut it into pieces that you can hold comfortably in your hand. Then grate it on a block or mandolin. It’s a little bit of an arm workout, but it’s worth it (just watch your fingertips, trust me!) The stem of broccoli and cauliflower is packed full of vitamins and nutrients so be sure to grate the stem too. How good is that – no waste!

This process is quicker and safer in a food processor, so if you have one, use the grating disk and feed the vegetables into the processor. Scrape down the sides as necessary. The consistency will be just like real rice grains.

You can also use a normal knife or blender, just keep a close eye on the blender so it doesn’t turn your vegetables into mush.

Step 2: Cooking

This step is even easier than the first. Put the vegetable rice in a bowl, mix in a tablespoon of olive oil, cover with cling wrap and place in a microwave. At full power, you have a steaming bowl of rice in about 3 minutes. Harder vegetables such as carrot or pumpkin will need a little longer than cauliflower or broccoli.

You can also use a steam basket. Put some kitchen paper at the bottom of the tray, add the vegetables on top and then steam over medium heat in 5 minutes.

Let’s eat

Vegetable rice is a great way to add colour to a variety of dishes. It’s perfect for a tasty rice bowl with chickpeas and capsicum, or as a substitute for risotto, tabbouleh or couscous. Why not add it to soup or as a basis for a salad? Perhaps the most difficult step involved with vegetable is choosing what dish you are going to use it for!