Lower Calorie Rice + An Unusual Cabbage Fried Rice

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Scientists have found a method for cooking white rice that reduces the starch and calories it contains by 10 to 12 percent. White rice is made up of digestible and resistant starches. Resistant starch takes a long time to digest and it is not converted into simple sugars, so it has fewer calories. Cooking alters how much of each type of starch there is in a food. Researchers in Sri Lanka have found a cooking method that reduces calories in rice because it increases the amount of resistant starch that rice kernels contain. Their method is simple. They add oil to the rice pot. The oil interacts with the starches in rice and converts digestible to resistant starch. A prolonged period of refrigeration further changes its composition, making it healthier and lower in calories than is usually the case. Here is the recommended method for cooking healthier rice.


Lower Calorie Rice...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Pop Sugar

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1-3/4 cups water

Directions:
1) In a pot, bring water to a boil.
2) Add coconut oil to pot, followed by rice.
3) Cover, lower heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
4) Let rice cool, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours.  Reheat as necessary before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Note: Chilling time of 12 hours is a crucial to convert starches.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When I saw this recipe in Food and Wine magazine, I knew I had to give it a try. I had a double batch of lower calorie rice in the refrigerator and this unusual version of fried rice was a perfect way to use it. The cabbage fried rice is substantial enough to serve as a light supper, but if you share your table with a carnivore, you might want to add a simple grilled chop or steak to his plate. I love fried rice and was surprised when I saw this recipe. It's main vegetable component is cabbage and that is unusual. I've never had a version like this and I was curious to see what it would taste like. I won't string you along. The rice is delicious. I used Napa cabbage to make my batch and it produced a somewhat pale looking dish. I suspect savoy cabbage would add more color and perhaps a stronger cabbage taste to the finished dish, so if appearance or depth of flavor are important to you, go with savoy rather than Napa  cabbage. I sliced rather than grated my cabbage. I wanted largish pieces that would add color and some substance to the dish. I was afraid that shredded cabbage would disappear into the rice and I wanted to add some texture to it. Do try this! The ginger adds a lovely flavor that you don't usually encounter in fried rice. I really think you'll like the addition. I happen to love fried rice. If you share my passion or are merely in the market for something new to try, this rice has your name on it. Here is how it's made.

Cabbage Fried Rice...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup shredded carrots
4 cups sliced Napa or Savoy cabbage
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
4 cups cooked, day old reduced calorie rice
4 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1) In a nonstick wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, carrots and cabbage and stir-fry over high heat until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir-fry until heated through and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
2) In a separate skillet, cook eggs, stirring gently, until nearly cooked through. Add eggs to rice mixture and toss and stir for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat and stir in soy sauce, lime juice and scallions. Transfer the fried rice to bowls and serve. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

                    

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