How to make curry māpō dōfu over cauliflower rice

For people trying to follow a low-carb diet in Japan, the prevalence of rice is a big problem. Even though people don’t eat rice with every meal, it is still a major staple. Plus, the flavor of plain rice itself is greatly appreciated, and telling most people that they can’t have rice anymore makes the diet too much of a sacrifice.

The best solution to this dilemma is to use low-carb rice substitutes in dishes where the flavor of the rice is not the star. Any type of donburi (rice bowl) is a good candidate, as is stew or curry. With curry, it’s the mouth feel of what is underneath the curry that is key. Book it real rice for dishes where it really matters, like a treat.

This dish is actually a curry version of māpō dōfu, because regular Japanese curry, which is based on a flour roux, is quite high in carbohydrates on its own. I cut back on carbs again by using green onions instead of regular ones and leaving out relatively high carb veggies like carrots and potatoes. Thickening is provided by a small amount of starch.

The trick for cauliflower rice is to cook it until it’s quite tender, but not mushy, which will help it look the best like rice when mixed with a good sauce. scented.

For 2 people

Preparation: 20 min. ; cooking: 25 min.

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 piece (about 1.5 cm long) of ginger root

• 2 medium green onions or leeks, such as kujō negi

• 2 small eggplants

• 1 big red pepper

• 1 medium tomato

• 300 grams frozen cauliflower rice

• 2 teaspoons Chinese Chicken Broth Granules

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 150 grams ground chicken

• 1 300 gram block of silken tofu, cut into cubes

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

• 200 milliliters the water

• 1 tablespoon katakuriko (potato starch) or cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water

• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and mince the garlic. Chop the ginger. Cut the green onions into small rings. Cut the eggplant and red pepper into 1 centimeter dice. Peel the tomato by cutting a shallow “x” into the skin, dipping it in boiling water for 30 seconds, then bumping it into a bowl of ice water, then dicing.

2. Cook the frozen cauliflower rice in salted boiling water until tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon of chicken broth granules.

3. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and eggplant. Sauté until the eggplant is lightly browned, then add the ground chicken and pepper. Continue to sauté until the meat has changed color, then add the green onion, reserving a little to use as a garnish at the end.

4. Push the contents of the pan to one side to clear a gap in the pan and add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil, curry powder and optional chili powder. Stir until fragrant.

5. Add the remaining teaspoon of chicken broth granules, tomato and water. Bring to a boil, simmer for five minutes and stir in the cubed tofu (don’t worry if they fall apart a bit). Pour a drizzle of cornstarch water to thicken the sauce and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, but go light, as the cauliflower rice is seasoned as well.

6. Serve over cauliflower rice, sprinkled with the reserved green onion.

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