We all have busy schedules and some nights we just need something fast for dinner. Fried rice is one of those quick meals that I can easily put on the table in fifteen minutes or less, especially if I use frozen cauliflower rice. Add in a few veggies and some protein, like shrimp which is fast to cook, and voila!
I was browsing a friend’s Instagram page last week when I saw that he made a Trinidadian version of fried rice using chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, rice and peas. I was shocked that I hadn’t really heard of the dish before, having carribean blood running through me. However, it got me thinking. What if I made a different version of carribean rice using jerk seasoning, mango and coconut?
As is the case with a lot of my rice-based recipes, I decided to go with a mix of cauliflower rice and jasmine rice. This helps cut down on calories and carbohydrates without compromising flavor. You can barely taste the cauliflower!
In addition to the coconut cauliflower/jasmine rice mix, I wanted to add in some veggies and shrimp. I marinated the shrimp in a homemade jerk sauce using green onions, coconut aminos and some mango. The end result was so good I had to share it.
Caribbean Style Fried Rice
Caribbean take on fried rice using coconut cauliflower/jasmine rice mix, jerk shrimp and vegetables.
Jerk Marinade
- 1 lime ((juiced))
- ½ mango (chunks)
- 1 green onion
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- ¼ habanero pepper (or habanero pepper sauce (¼ tsp))
- 1 tbsp ginger or ginger paste
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tbsp coconut sugar
Caribbean Fried Rice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ cup jasmine rice (dry)
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 6 ounces shrimp (peeled, deveined & tail off)
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ habanero pepper (diced) (or habanero pepper sauce (see notes))
- 1 cup bok choy (chopped)
- 1 yellow or red pepper (cut into strips)
- ¼ cup carrot (diced)
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 green onions (diced). Seperate the whites from greens
Jerk Marinade
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well blended. This should yield about 1 cup. Store in a mason jar for up to 2 weeks.
Caribbean Fried Rice
Add the coconut milk to a medium sized pot and bring it to a slow boil. Add in the jasmine rice and cauliflower and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is fully dissolved.
While the rice cooks, marinate the shrimp. In a bowl, add a quarter cup of the jerk sauce, salt and pepper to taste and the canola oil.
Transfer the cooked rice to a plate and spread it out as flat as possible. Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes to allow it to cool.
Heat up a wok or large pan on medium high and add in ¼ tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add in the chopped bok choy and cook until slightly tender for about 5 minutes. Put the bok choy on a plate and set aside. Return wok to the stove.
Add the marinated shrimp to the wok and cook until it just turns pink. Depending on the size of your shrimp, this should take about 3 minutes. Put shrimp onto a plate and cover with another plate or aluminum foil to keep warm. Return wok to stove.
Add the carrots and peppers to the woke and cook until soft, for about 5 minutes. Put the carrots and peppers on a plate and set aside. Return wok to stove.
Add the leftover sesame oil to the wok, the whites from the green onions and the rice from the freezer. Allow to crisp up without stirring the rice.
Once the rice starts crisping, add in the cooked ingredients (bok choy, shrimp, peppers & carrots) that were set aside. This should be added in at the last minute to avoid overcooking the shrimp. Add in the coconut aminos and the diced habanero peppers (to taste).
Transfer to serving bowls, top with reserved green onions, fresh diced mango (optional) and enjoy!
- For the best results, use day old rice by making the cauliflower/jasmine rice mix a day ahead. Also, feel free to go with just cauliflower rice or just jasmine rice. I prefer to use just cauliflower in most cases and a mix in other instances.
- Habanero or pepper sauce is extremely spicy. Make sure you know your spice tolerance, which should determine how much of the habanero is used in this recipe.
- Do not hesitate to switch your veggies up depending on your taste. Just make sure to pay attention to the cook times as some veggies may take a little longer to cook than others. Adjusting the dice size of your veggies can reduce the cook times as well.
