Shrimp and pork fried rice

Even though the image above looks like rice, this dish is actually made with cauliflower. An attempt to recreate the amazing shrimp and pork fried rice from my local Chinese takeaway resulted in this low carbohydrate version. It is very good. The basic 'rice' can be fancified any way you like, in this case, the Chinese route, but it can also be used to accompany a curry, whereby a little cumin, saffron, turmeric and cilantro can be used.

Recipe : Cauliflower 'fried' rice (Adapted from Karen Barnaby's The Low Carb Gourmet).

1 cauliflower, grated, including the core.

First, prepare the cauliflower. Grate the vegetable well and place it on a double sheet of strong kitchen towel. Gather the towel up to form a bundle with the cauliflower inside and carefully squeeze as much water out as you can. (This step is essential to provide a non-soggy 'rice'). Once you have squeezed as much water as possible out, lay the cauliflower on some more kitchen towel and lay two more sheets on top. Weigh down with something heavy to dry it still further for 30 minutes or so. After 30 minutes it should be very dry and ready to fry.

Fry ingredients

2 tsp peanut oil

1 small onion, cut into thin slices

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup small shrimp

1/4 cup Chinese roast pork, cut into small dice

2 eggs, beaten, fried as an omelet and shredded

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

Heat the peanut oil in a frying pan or wok over high heat until hot and add the onion, garlic, ginger and shallots. Stir fry quickly for 20 seconds, then add the cauliflower. Stir fry everything together until the 'rice' is beginning to soften and look toasty and then add the shrimp, pork and eggs. 

Stir fry until the ingredients are heated through, (the cauliflower should be cooked but still dry).

Serve with the sesame oil and soy sauce sprinkled over.