A low carb spin on ochro (okra) rice made with cauliflower rice, that is mildly seasoned. This bowl of goodness makes the perfect, healthy side dish for an abundance of recipes.
If you are looking for an alternative to rice that is filling and extremely tasty then this recipe is what you need in your life right now. It's very easy, tasty and I promise there is no slimy okra residue.
Raise your hands if you despises okra? Yes, I'm sure there are a lot of you out there with many stories from your childhood referring to how your mother force fed you some ochro (okra) and now you can't even come to terms with looking at it let alone eat it, am I right?
I'm on the fence with okra, meaning I have to be in the mood for it, put it this way, it's not a vegetable that I will eat on a daily basis.
Okra plays a crucial role in Caribbean cooking, it can be added whole to your Saturday Soup, put in your Ital Stew.
I even add it to my Curried Jackfruit and My Vegan Chickpea Curry and of course it is included in Cou Cou (which forms part of Barbados' national dish).
Although this recipe is not exclusively Caribbean, I do like to elaborate on a few ways that ochro is used in the islands.
I feel as if okra is often give a rep because of its slimy texture, but I promise this recipe isn't slimy. In fact I will guide you through the entire cooking process, including how to remove that sliminess that most people just don't care for.
Once you know how to eliminate the sliminess then you will become well acquainted with ochro rice and you will want to eat it repeatedly.
Reasons to make this dish
- It's easy to make
- This recipe is the big sister to my Herb Cauliflower Rice
- Perfect as a side dish
- Ideal for supporting any weightloss goals
- Vegan, low carb, grain free, whole30
- Great to eat alone or include some meat/beans (vegan option)
- It's budget friendly
How to remove the sliminess of okra
There are various methods out there but I like to use the one that works for me each and everytime. It's very much foolproof and simple which is to parboil the okra in vinegar/pink salt. I parboil so that too many nutrients are not removed during this process.
- Add the chopped okra to a saucepan.
- Add some 1 tsp of pink salt and 2 tbsp of vinegar.
- Pour some cold water onto the okra and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling point is reached immediately remove the pan from the stove.
- Remove the okra with either a slotted spoon and/or drain in a colander
- Rinse the parboiled okra with cold water and pat it dry, set aside, ready to use.
How to make ochro rice
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower then wash and thoroughly blot it dry (very important!!).
- Start by chopping the cauliflower up into small pieces.
- Add the cauliflower florets to a food processor, fitted with an S blade.
- Pulse the cauliflower until it resembles "rice"(you may need to do this in batches).
- Once finished, place the "rice" in a bowl and set aside.
- Add 4 tbsp olive oil to the frying pan/skillet on medium heat (make sure it is heated through first).
- Add the okra and proceed to fry the okra until it starts to become crispy (this will take a few minutes).
- About 2 minutes into frying the okra, add the sliced onions and saute them until soft/slightly golden and sprinkle in half of the all purpose seasoning.
- Remove the onions and okra pieces from the frying pan (you may need to wipe the pan to remove any crust).
- Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil (still on medium heat) then and the cauliflower rice and proceed to stir/fold the rice to take the raw-ness off it.
- Season the cauliflower with the rest of the all purpose seasoning, ginger, garlic granules, parsley, thyme and pink salt and stir.
- Finally fold in the fried okra and onions.
- Serve accordingly.
Notes and tips
- To eliminate that sliminess please make sure you to parboil the okra in vinegar/pink salt. Don't skip this step or your okra will be slimy (unless that's what you want).
- If you are using a large head of cauliflower increase the seasoning by ½ tsp and add a few more okra fingers.
- Freeze any leftover rice in freezer friendly container to avoid freezer burn.
- Here is my Homemade All Purpose Seasoning
- Make sure you are using a non stick pan for best results.
- You may need to pulse your cauliflower florets in batches depending on the size of your cauliflower.
- Add the fried okra and onions last as this will help to retain that crispiness, just fold them in towards the end.
- Feel free to add some additional vegetables, beans or meat if you want to turn this into a complete meal as oppose to serving as a side dish.
- You could add mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, cho cho/christophine, shrimp, chicken pieces, beans (peas), tofu. It depends on what you prefer!!
- This recipe works with both frozen and fresh okra. Frozen okra is cheaper so use what is more cost efficient to you.
More side dishes to try
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Ochro Rice (Okra Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower I used a medium sized one
- 15 fingers of okra chopped (about 1 cup when chopped/100g)
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 tbsp all purpose seasoning see notes for recipe (15g)
- ½ tbsp parsley (8g)
- 1 tsp black pepper (5g)
- 1 tsp garlic granules (5g)
- ½ tsp ground ginger (3g)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme stems removed (or use dried)(5g)
- 1 tsp pink salt or to taste (5g)
- 6 tbsp olive oil (88ml)
Instructions
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower then wash and thoroughly blot it dry (very important!!).
- Start by chopping the cauliflower up into small pieces.
- Add the cauliflower florets to a food processor, fitted with an S blade.
- Pulse the cauliflower until it resembles "rice"(you may need to do this in batches).
- Once finished, place the "rice" in a bowl and set aside.
- Add 4 tbsp olive oil to the frying pan/skillet on medium heat (make sure it is heated through first).
- Add the okra and proceed to fry the okra until it starts to become crispy (this will take a few minutes).
- About 2 minutes into frying the okra, add the sliced onions and saute them until soft/slightly golden and sprinkle in half of the all purpose seasoning.
- Remove the onions and okra pieces from the frying pan (you may need to wipe the pan to remove any crust).
- Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil (still on medium heat) then and the cauliflower rice and proceed to stir/fold the rice to take the raw-ness off it.
- Season the cauliflower with the rest of the all purpose seasoning, ginger, garlic granules, parsley, thyme and pink salt and stir.
- Finally fold in the fried okra and onions.
- Serve accordingly.
Notes
- To eliminate that sliminess please make sure you to parboil the okra in vinegar/pink salt. Don't skip this step or your okra will be slimy (unless that's what you want).
- If you are using a large head of cauliflower increase the seasoning by ½ tsp and add a few more okra fingers.
- Freeze any leftover rice in freezer friendly container to avoid freezer burn.
- Here is my Homemade All Purpose Seasoning
- Make sure you are using a non stick pan for best results.
- You may need to pulse your cauliflower florets in batches depending on the size of your cauliflower.
- Add the fried okra and onions last as this will help to retain that crispiness, just fold them in towards the end.
- Feel free to add some additional vegetables, beans or meat if you want to turn this into a complete meal as oppose to serving as a side dish.
- You could add mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, cho cho/christophine, shrimp, chicken pieces, beans (peas), tofu. It depends on what you prefer!!
- This recipe works with both frozen and fresh okra. Frozen okra is cheaper so use what is more cost efficient to you.
I love Okra but I never knew how to cook it with carbs like rice. This is definitely a new must-try recipe for me. Thank you.
You are welcome Devy.
What a great recipe. I love okra and this sounds so interesting, light and flavorful. Some different.
Thanks Roxana
This was everything a gourmet dish should be, and then some! Easily, a new favorite recipe; it was delicious!
Glad to hear that
I love okra and this fried rice with okra looks amazing!
Thanks Emily
Mmm.. I love okra. Such a great idea to use cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice
Thanks Michelle.