Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
This recipe of Thai pineapple fried rice is a joy in every bite. A combination of sweet, spice, and salt mixed with fresh and slightly tangy pineapple gives this dish a unique flavor. Cashews help to balance all of the above flavors and adds a nutty texture to the rice dish.
The recipe is very similar to Chinese fried rice. The difference between Chinese fried rice and Thai fried rice is in the sauce.
In Chinese fried rice, soy sauce is the main ingredient in the cooking process. Whereas in Thai fried rice, fish sauce, and oyster sauce are the main ingredients. Since I wanted to keep this recipe vegan friendly, I have replaced the fish and Oyster sauce with soy sauce.
In traditional Thai pineapple fried rice, eggs and shrimp are added while cooking. It is optional to add these ingredients as the fried rice tastes good without those two ingredients.
This recipe is inspired by Thai Pineapple stir fry that I ate at the restaurant Mai Thai in Minneapolis. This dish will be my one-pot meal to go. This dish comes together very quickly if we have all the ingredients ready.
Rice: White Jasmine rice is used in this recipe. Any variety of long white grain will work well too. The trick to getting the fried rice right is not using cold rice but instead using rice that is still warm. When the rice is warm, it will mix with the spices well and makes it more flavorful.
Pineapple: Fresh pineapple works best for this recipe. I have not tried this recipe with canned pineapple. But if using canned pineapple, make sure to drain all the liquids well and chop them into fine pieces.
Curry Powder: Thai Red Curry Powder is a blend of mild- to medium-hot chile peppers, garlic, and other herbs and spices such as galangal, lemongrass, Makrut lime, onion, and cilantro.
Thai curry powder can be difficult to find in supermarkets compared to Thai curry paste. If you have Indian curry powder in hand, it will work.
Sauce: Fish sauce and Oyster Sauce are used in the authentic version. But, I chose soy sauce to keep it Vegan and Vegetarian friendly.
PrintThai Pineapple Fried Rice
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
This recipe of Thai pineapple fried rice is a joy in every bit. A combination of sweet, spice, and salt mixed with fresh and slightly tangy pineapple gives this dish a unique flavor. Cashews help to balance all of the above flavors and adds a nutty texture to the rice dish.
Ingredients
Rice- 3 cups
Oil- 2 Tbsp
Garlic- 2 cloves
Shallots- 1/2 cup
Carrots- 1/4 cup
Fresh Pineapple- 1 1/2 cups
Large Bell Pepper- 1
Curry Powder- 1 tsp
Dried Red Chili Flakes- 1 tsp
Soy Sauce or Tamari- 2 Tbsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Lemon Juice- 2 tsp
Cashews- 1/2 cup
Cilantro- 1/2 cup
Scallions (green onions)- 1/2 cup
Instructions
1. Cut the pineapple into two halves. Make a square cut around the halves with a knife. Take out the core by cutting across into several small pieces. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of pineapple to add to the fried rice. Use the remaining portion of the pineapple as a bowl.
2. In a pan, take 2 Tbsp of extra light olive oil, add two cloves of chopped garlic, and 1/2 cup of shallots. Saute the garlic and shallots for 1 minute.
3. Add 1/4 cup of carrots, 3/4 cup bell peppers, and 1 1/2 cup pineapple.
4. Add 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of curry powder, and saute for 5 minutes or until the pineapple and the vegetables cook well.
5. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp of lemon juice, and add 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice.
6. Mix the rice to mix well with the spices and vegetables.
7. Add 1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup green onions, and 1/2 cup cilantro.
8. Serve warm in the pineapple bowls.
Notes
Warm rice makes this fried rice taste better. Cold rice does not incorporate the spices well.
Curry powder can be any of your choices. It can be hard to find Thai style curry powder in grocery stores.
This recipe tastes better with fresh pineapples. I have tried this with canned pineapples, and it does not come out well.
If it is not the right amount of heat, add additional chili sauce to the fried rice while adding the soy sauce.
Once prepared, the rice does turn bad very quickly at room temperature. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Vegetarian Entrees
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 252 Kcal
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 217 mg
- Fat: 7.54 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.266 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.843 g
- Trans Fat: 0.02 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.1 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Thai pineapple fried rice, quick fried rice recipe, Asian fried rice, Thai Cuisine, Easy Pineapple stir fry recipe
