The Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe is a savory, sweet, and aromatic dish made with low GI basmati rice stir-fried with shrimp, eggs, tofu, and pineapple. This vibrant rice dish features a delightful balance of textures and flavor profiles. It is served in an eye-catching hollowed-out pineapple shell topped with crunchy cashew nuts. You can enjoy it with any side or as a standalone meal!
One of the most unique elements of Thai cooking is the use of fruit in a savory entrée. I have always found its use as an enticing and refreshing twist to an otherwise ordinary dish. In Thai, it is called ‘Khao Pad Sapparod’.
My inspiration for this dish:
My first introduction to the Pineapple Fried Rice recipe was in Pattaya, Thailand. Famous for its warm blue-turquoise waters fronted by sun-warmed sand and sultry sea breezes, there was no more lyrical setting for my first taste of this fried rice. But this wok hot dish was certainly the most memorable. I can still remember and almost taste that first morsel of this delicate fried rice, smothered with cashew nuts. It was served in a hollowed-out pineapple shell, and topped with a paper umbrella and a fragrant orchid on the side!
Pattaya’s markets served this freshly made dish in piping hot woks. This is my recreation of that dish, and I used the same order of cooking the ingredients to capture those authentic flavors. I assure you that it is not difficult, but you must be meticulous. While you can use canned pineapples, fresh pineapple adds a unique flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I use jasmine rice in this Pineapple Fried Rice recipe?
Thai recipes call for the use of delicate jasmine rice which has a floral scent. The grains tend to be dry and easier to maneuver while stir-frying in a wok making it a preferred option. I have used low-GI basmati rice as a healthier option.
2. How to cook and use the rice for fried rice?
I like to cook with low GI basmati rice as a healthier option, but you can use jasmine rice with a ratio of 1:1 rice to water. Since I use a rice cooker, this process is fairly straightforward. But you could boil a pot of water with a pinch of salt and gently add the rice grains when the water boils. Use a sieve and drain the starch once the rice is cooked to al dente or firm. Cook and cool the rice before making the Pineapple Fried Rice recipe or use previously cooked rice.
3. How to choose pineapples?
- Choose one that is mostly yellow with a slight tinge of green.
- Pick a pineapple that smells sweet when you smell it and not have a pungent odor.
- Firm pineapples are usually considered ripe if the shell is sturdy with a soft flesh.
- The leaves can be indicative of freshness. If the fronds come off easily when tugged, the fruit is ripe.
- A heavy pineapple is usually ripe and juicy.
4. Why does the rice clump together?
Overcooking the rice will make it clump together. Another reason could be that the rice was fried immediately after cooking it while still hot. Rice must be chilled or even cooled to room temperature before making the fried rice.
If you’ve tried this recipe or have questions, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share (below) your thoughts, comments, or any questions that you might have. And if you like my recipes, you could subscribe to my mailing list for the latest recipes that will be delivered to your inbox. From my pen to your table, Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
- Protein: shrimp, egg, tofu; shredded chicken can also be used
- Veggies: carrots, peas; feel free to use peppers, cabbage, broccoli and zucchini
- Aromatics: garlic, cilantro; green onions are optional
- Spice paste: dried shrimp, dried red chili and lemongrass (white part)
- Sauce mixture: light or regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce
- Rice: low GI basmati rice; jasmine rice is more commonly used
- Garnish: roasted whole cashew nuts, and raisins, served in a hollowed-out pineapple shell
- Oil: peanut oil; sesame oil will work too
- Pineapple: fresh cubes; canned pineapple does not work well for this recipe
How to make the Pineapple Fried Rice using my recipe:
- Heat the peanut oil in a wok. Sauté the shrimp with minced garlic and salt.
2. Push the shrimp to one side of the wok using the spatula. Add the spice paste and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add the chopped carrots and peas and sauté for another minute. Add the cubed pineapple and sauté for another minute or until caramelized.
4. Add the rice and sauté the ingredients together. Push the fried rice to one side of the wok and crack the eggs on the other side. Quickly break up the yolks and mix them. Let the eggs coat the rice. Fry again until the eggs are cooked for another 1-2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture. Turn off the heat and garnish with cashew nuts, cilantro, and raisins.
1. Cook the rice and cool it in the refrigerator or spread it on a tray. Sometimes, a tablespoon of oil is added to the rice to keep the grains separate when frying. Freezing the rice is generally not a good option because water trapped in the freezing process will exude when stir-frying. If you do not have previously cooked or refrigerated rice, you could still cook it on the day of making it. The bottom line is to cool the rice and cook it until firm before making the Pineapple Fried Rice. Take care not to overcook the rice.
2. Prepare all the ingredients and keep them handy once you start cooking.
3. Easier way to cook fried rice: Fry each ingredient such as shrimp, eggs, and vegetables separately and then mix them.
Serving suggestion:
Pineapple Fried Rice is served with a choice of seafood, meat, or vegetables, and every Asian nation has its own rendition of fried rice. The caramelized pineapple and roasted cashew nuts give the Pineapple Fried Rice its vibrancy and mouthwatering finish. For that dash of allure, it is served in the hollowed-out shell of the pineapple.
Storage:
Pineapple Fried Rice can be refrigerated for one day in an airtight box. This dish can be frozen in freezer-safe boxes for three months. Thaw the fried rice to room temperature and refry it in a wok or skillet or microwave it for a couple of minutes to reheat it.
Other Thai shrimp recipes that you might like:
Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Stovetop (wok)
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Fried Rice:
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ lb shrimp deveined
- ¼ cup baby carrot chopped
- ¼ cup peas
- 2 egg
- ¼ cup pineapple
- 1 cup Basmati rice (low GI) cooked with 1:1 ratio of water
- ⅓ cup whole cashew nuts for garnish
- 1 tbsp raisins for garnish
- a few cilantro sprigs
For the spice paste:
- 1 dried red chili
- ½ tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 lemongrass large, white part
For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
Instructions
How to make the Pineapple Fried Rice using my recipe:
- Prepare the ingredients. Roast the cashew nuts in a pan or toast them in the oven until golden brown. Soak the ingredients for 10 minutes and grind to a fine paste with very little water. Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
- Sauté the shrimp with minced garlic and salt.
- Push the shrimp to one side of the wok using the spatula. Sauté the spice paste for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chopped carrots and peas and sauté for another minute. Add the cubed pineapple and sauté for another minute or until caramelized.
- Add the rice and sauté the ingredients together. Push the fried rice to one side of the wok and crack the eggs on the other side. Add some oil if the wok is sticky. Quickly break the yolks and mix them. Let the eggs coat the rice. Fry again until the eggs are cooked for another 2 minutes. Add the sauces and stir the rice. Turn off the heat and garnish with cashews, cilantro, and raisins. Serve in the hollowed-out pineapple shell.
Video
Notes
- Adjust the amount of soy sauce that you would like. I have also added some salt in the recipe, so I cut back on the soy sauce.
- The easier option would be to fry each set of ingredients separately and mix them. The authentic method is to fry them one after the other in the wok.
- To make it spicy, add more dried chilis to the spice paste.
- I used the pineapple cubes made from the hollowed-out shell for the fried rice.
Nutrition
Great recipe!
Such a classic, must-have recipe! Tasted amazing when I tried it at home for my kids, thanks Kanchan!