Cajun Rice and Gravy
Shrimp, peeled · Dry basmati rice · Yellow onion
Needs a photograph of this finished dish. The plate above is a stand-in, not a photo of another recipe. Prompt stored for a later shoot: Photoreal finished Cajun Rice and Gravy from Louisiana, handmade ceramic, natural window light, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no people.
Cajun & Creole · Louisiana · United States
Cajun Rice and Gravy
Cajun Rice and Gravy, the Louisiana plate. In Louisiana, sweat the onion, then simmer Cajun Rice and Gravy at a quiet bubble until the thickest piece yields and the liquid...
Pai editors’ mark 3 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Cajun Rice and Gravy is the Louisiana version of a classic cajun plate. In Louisiana, sweat the onion, then simmer Cajun Rice and Gravy at a quiet bubble until the thickest piece yields and the liquid looks glossy. Amounts are weighed for four, with cups beside the grams.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Healthy
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 22%
- Carbs 62%
- Fat 16%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 16.7 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 503 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry basmati rice183 kcal
- Shrimp, peeled53 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Kale14 kcal
- Yellow onion10 kcal
- Zucchini7 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 25.8. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 308 kcal.
Allergens. Shellfish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 308 kcal after the change.
Use half the salt on Cajun Rice and Gravy and finish with lemon.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Swap half the starch for extra greens.
Fiber goes up and the plate gets lighter. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 308 kcal | 15% |
| Protein | 16.7 g | 33% |
| Carbohydrate | 48 g | 17% |
| Fiber | 3.7 g | 13% |
| Total sugars | 2.6 g | 5% |
| Fat | 5.4 g | 7% |
| Saturated fat | 0.7 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 95 mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 503 mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 455 mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 189 mg | 15% |
| Iron | 3.8 mg | 21% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 1.6 mg | 15% |
| Vitamin A | 112 mcg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 47.7 mg | 53% |
| Vitamin D · estimate | 1.4 mcg | 7% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 196 mcg | 163% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.4 mg | 29% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 14% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 6.1 mg | 38% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.5 mg | 31% |
| Folate | 178 mcg | 45% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.7 mcg | 29% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- The balance of protein, fiber, and richer ingredients is what earns the Healthy mark.
- Shellfish should be fully cooked. This is an allergen for many people.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Shrimp, peeled19 shrimps280 g
Dry basmati rice1.08 cup200 g
Yellow onion1 onion100 g
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
Fresh thyme2 g2 g
Smoked paprika1 tsp2 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp1.5 g
Black pepper0.5 tsp1 g
Kale160 g160 g
Zucchini1 zucchini180 g
White pepper1 tsp2 g
Bay leaf10 leaves2 g
Nutmeg0.5 tsp1 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the salt on Cajun Rice and Gravy and finish with lemon.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Swap half the starch for extra greens.. Fiber goes up and the plate gets lighter.
Method
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-0
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 1
Step 1 · Heat 5 min
1Set a scale on the counter for Cajun Rice and Gravy. Heat the cooking vessel to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and leave it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh shrimp, peeled, dry basmati rice, yellow onion, garlic, olive oil.
Heat 5 min
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-1
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 2
Step 2 · Cajun Rice and Gravy
2In Louisiana, sweat the onion, then simmer Cajun Rice and Gravy at a quiet bubble until the thickest piece yields and the liquid looks glossy. Add kale and zucchini and white pepper and bay leaf and nutmeg with the aromatics.
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-2
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 3
Step 3 · Cajun Rice and Gravy
3Cook the onion and garlic first until they smell sweet and the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Then add the shrimp, peeled.
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-3
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 4
Step 4 · Simmer 31 min
4Add the remaining weighed ingredients and cook Cajun Rice and Gravy at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 31 minutes. Cajun Rice and Gravy is done when the shrimp, peeled yields to a fork and the liquid stays at a quiet simmer, not a hard boil.
Simmer 31 min
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-4
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 5
Step 5 · Cajun Rice and Gravy
5Check the thickest piece of Cajun Rice and Gravy, not the edge. If the cue is not true, keep going a few minutes and look again.
- 🇺🇸 United StatesNorth Americawest-cajun-rice-and-gravy-step-5
Cajun Rice and Gravy, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Cajun Rice and Gravy for 5 minutes, taste the salt, and serve it the way it is eaten in Louisiana.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Cajun Rice and Gravy is done when the shrimp, peeled yields to a fork and the liquid stays at a quiet simmer, not a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Cajun Rice and Gravy looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes. Color is not the cue.
- Cajun Rice and Gravy came out salty or dry. Weigh the salt, keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop at the doneness cue.
Storage
Cool Cajun Rice and Gravy, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if it reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Cajun Rice and Gravy is cooked by simmer until the doneness cue, not by the clock alone.
- The lighter plate keeps the classic shape with more vegetables, less salt, and a modest amount of oil.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Use pasteurized dairy if the recipe includes it. There is no alcohol in the required list.
Allergens in the required list: Shellfish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.