Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
Well, it has been feeling like summer here this past week and it has been hot! I’m sure like myself, when these days roll around all you want to nourish yourselves with is basically fresh salads, fruit and cold drinks. Well, today I’m sharing a really fun rice bowl that is very quick and easy to prepare and will keep you cool but also satisfied. This Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice has everything you need in a meal including vegetables, protein and good flavour! The only things that have to be cooked are the rice and the halloumi which means you don’t have to turn your oven on!
The base of the bowl is a homemade coconut rice which is very simple to make. We just add a little canned coconut milk into the pot along with the rice and water and cook it like usual. I love to add ALL of the toppings to this bowl to make it fun and vibrant. Here, I’ve included cucumber spears, fresh pineapple, purple cabbage, green onions and black sesame seeds. Also, to top it all off, a delicious spicy mayo that absolutely makes it! This vegetarian dish is one of the easiest things to make for a weeknight meal and it all comes together in about 20 minutes.
Some of the ingredient are listed below.
For the Rice Bowl:
Rice - I like to use basmati rice as it is low-glycemic, but any long-grain white rice would work fine for this recipe!
Coconut milk - To make the coconut rice, we want to use a really creamy canned coconut milk for optimal flavour. I like the Thai Kitchen brand, but any full-fat canned coconut milk will work.
Halloumi - What the heck is halloumi? If you’ve never had it you are definitely missing out! It’s like a delicious, salty cheese that can be pan-fried without melting or losing its shape. It works great as the protein piece of this dish! You can find this is the specialty cheese section at the grocery store.
Cucumber - I love adding fresh cucumber to any dish during the summer months! It’s just so refreshing. For this bowl, I like to cut them into small matchsticks or spears to add a little dimension, but you can chop them any way that you like.
Pineapple - It wouldn't be a tropical rice bowl without a little pineapple! The pineapple adds a bit of acidity to the otherwise alkaline ingredients and also adds a sweetness and of course a punch of flavour.
Cabbage - The purple cabbage also adds some vibrant colour as well as nutrients. Cabbage is one of what’s called a “cruciferous” vegetable, which means that it is high in vitamin C, anti-inflammatory and even contains cancer-fighting properties. Basically, it’s really good for you! I used a mandolin to shred my cabbage, but you can also do it by hand with a sharp knife.
Green onions - I really love green onions on any salad or bowl and this one is no exception! It adds that bit of onion-y flavour as well as a pop of green colour. It’s the perfect garnish.
Sesame seeds - I also really love sesame seeds. They do originate from tropical areas of the world which makes them the perfect garnish or this bowl. The black sesame seeds add a little more contrast to the bowl, but white sesame seeds work just as good! Though they are small, they too contain many beneficial nutrients!
For the spicy mayo:
Mayonnaise - Be sure to use a real, high quality mayonnaise for the base of the sauce. It will make a difference in overall flavour and delivery. I love the avocado oil mayonnaise with real egg yolks. It’s so good!
Sriracha - Sriracha is the hot sauce of choice to spice up this spicy mayo sauce. You can really measure with your heart for this one. If you don’t like a lot of spice then keep it to a few teaspoons or if you like it hot, add a little more. I always like a little bit of a kick.
Lime - We need to balance out the other two ingredients with a little acidity and that is where the lime juice comes in. It will also help to thin out the sauce a little, making it easier to drizzle on top of your bowl.
Spices - You don’t need much, but don’t forget a little salt and pepper to season the sauce. Just a pinch of each is all you really need.
It can be a fun activity for the whole family to make their own bowls too! Just separate the toppings into smaller bowls and allow everyone to choose the toppings that they like. Other toppings that could work well for this bowl are shelled edamame beans, fresh mango or even leafy greens if you wanted to make it more of a salad bowl.
Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups white basmati rice
- 1 400ml can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 160g packages plain halloumi cheese
- 1 cup cucumber, cut into 1/4" thick spears
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2" chunks
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
- black sesame seeds, for garnishing
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- the juice from 1 1/2 limes
- 2 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
- pinch salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the rice is cooking, make the spicy mayo: in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, sriracha and salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare 4 shallow bowls. Once the rice is done, divide it among the four bowls.
- Top the bowls with cucumber spears, pineapple chunks, shredded cabbage and green onions.
- Drizzle the spicy mayo all over and top with black sesame seeds.
- Enjoy immediately.