Thai cuisine inspired this pineapple fried rice recipe is a delicious (sweet) twist to normal fried rice. Fried rice is an easy one pot meal packed with flavours. There are numerous versions of fried rice. This particular recipe one is inspired by Thai flavours. Out of numerous recipes you may find on internet, my recipe here focusses on vegetarian version of pineapple fried rice.
Table of contents
Pineapple fried rice
As the name suggests, this is fried rice and contains pineapple. It has its own distinctive taste of sweet sour, salty and mildly spicy. Pineapple and raisins adding to the sweet flavour, salt giving salty taste and fried cashews adding to crunchyness.
I suppose this rice gets its origin form Thailand as Thailand has abundance of pineapples. This pineapple fried rice is close to one found in China. However, one key differentiating factor is use of fish sauce in Thai rice. In my recipe I have used vegan version of fish sauce. If you can’t find it locally and you wish to keep recipe as vegetarian, you may skip it.
Ingredients
- Pineapple – Pineapple is must for this recipe. Look for ripen pineapple. I personally prefer fresh pineapple (and not one from can)
- Raisins – Sweet raisins adds to the sweetness and balances any sourness from pineapple
- Cashews – Cashews tossed in oil provides this crunchiness to the rice.
- Fish sauce – Thai version of pineapple fried rice can not be complete with out fish sauce. For vegetarian version, look out for vegan fish sauce.
- Soy sauce – Soy sauce offers that asian flavour
- Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the garlic taste to fried rice
- Rice – Thai cuisine has focus on Jasmine rice, however if you can’t find jasmine rice, you may use any other rice. You need rice to be little sticky
- Curry masala – This is to add gentle spice to fried rice
- Oil – for frying
- Onion – I have used onion in my recipe. This is purely a personal choice, you may skip if you do not like.
- Turmeric Powder – Not only it adds the color, it also gives subtle flavour
- Spring Onion – Crunchy spring onion leaves augments the flavour and add to aesthetics of pineapple fried rice
- Coriander leaves – I like fresh coriander leaves for garnishing.
Step by step recipe
- Wash and boil rice and keep it aside. You may use leftover rice too for this.
- In a pan, add oil, add chopped garlic and onion slices. Cook till these become little brown.
- Now add cashews and sauté till cashews turn somewhat brown and crunchy.
- Add turmeric, salt and curry powder, mix well. Now add pineapple chunks as well as raisins.
- Now add precooked jasmine rice, followed by soy sauce and vegan fish sauce, mix well and let it cook for 3 mins.
- Lastly add chopped spring onions and chopped coriander, and serve.
Pro Tips
- Precook rice and keep it ready to save on time. I normally use leftover rice, this offers as great way to make best makeover from leftover.
- Check that the pineapple used is ripe. Adjust raisins according to the sweetness of pineapple. Keep the pineapple shell for serving, just makes look presenting exotic.
- Add spring onions only towards the end to retain crunchyness.
Other versions of pineapple rice
Shrimp or prawn fried rice
You can add shrimps to this, at the point of frying garlic and onions, add eggs and scramble them to dry up any water and then add shrimps. Cook shrimps, rest of recipe remains same.
Chicken fried rice
If you like chicken, it is easy to add chicken in this recipe. Use diced chicken breast. At the point of frying garlic and onions, add eggs and scramble them to dry up any water and then add chicken pieces. Cook shrimps, rest of recipe remains same.
Why make pineapple fried rice
- This Thai pineapple fried rice is tasty twist from usual fried rice
- This recipe of pineapple rice is vegetarian as well as vegan friendly
- Attributing to the sweet taste, kids love it
- This acts as main dish or can easily slip to side hero role and be a side dish
Serving suggestion
Serve this pineapple fried rice hot. You may use leftover pineapple skull for plating. Serve it along with some mocktail.
Recipe Card
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 200 Grams Jasmine rice
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 3 Cloves Garlic Chopped
- 1 Onion Thinly sliced
- 20 Grams Cashews
- 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt As per taste
- 1 Tsp Curry masala
- 75 Grams Pineapple Pieces Look for sweet pineapple
- 15 Grams Raisins
- 10 Ml Soy souce
- 10 Ml Fish sauce
- 20 Grams Spring Onion Chopped
- 10 Grams Fresh Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Wash and boil rice and keep it aside. You may use leftover rice too for this.
- In a pan, add oil, add chopped garlic and onion slices. Cook till these become little brown.
- Now add cashews and sauté till cashews turn somewhat brown and crunchy.
- Add turmeric, salt and curry powder, mix well. Now add pineapple chunks as well as raisins.
- Now add precooked jasmine rice, followed by soy sauce and vegan fish sauce, mix well and let it cook for 3 mins.
- Lastly add chopped spring onions and chopped coriander, and serve.
Absolutely delighted with this Thai-inspired Pineapple Fried Rice recipe! As a busy consultant in a job consultancy in Abu Dhabi, I appreciate quick yet delicious meals. Your step-by-step guide makes it easy for someone like me to cook up a storm in the kitchen. The balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours is simply perfect. Using fresh pineapple adds a delightful touch. Thanks for sharing this culinary gem!