I first tried Thai Pineapple Fried Rice on a trip to Malaysia and I was hooked. It's a popular dish in Malaysia, which is directly beside Thailand, and has variations across South East Asia. I call this Malaysian Pineapple Fried Rice, but it's also Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, and Singapore has it's own versions too! I especially love adding homemade Sweet Chili Sauce to spice up the dish.
Everyone loves eating Fried Rice, it's a great way to use up leftover rice. I never seem to judge how much rice to cook, and always have too much rice leftover. This recipe is perfect for me, allowing me to use up leftover rice.
Not everyone knows how to make Pineapple Fried Rice properly. It's definitely not regular Chinese Fried Rice with pineapple thrown in. It's also not Hawaiian Fried Rice. I wonder if some of those Thai Pineapple Fried Rice recipe writers have even been to Malaysia or Thailand? The flavor combination from Chinese and Thai flavours are completely different. I'll let you be the judge of some of the recipes out there!
Pineapple Bowl Preparation
This recipe has the most wow factor when you serve it inside the pineapple. It's how it's served in Malaysia, and using fresh pineapple makes the recipe taste better. Of course you can use canned pineapple, it's cheaper and readily available, so don't skip making this recipe if you don't have the real pineapple. It will taste just as good when served on a plate!
To hollow out the pineapple, just slice it in half, and carefully remove the flesh. Leave enough on the sides to create a pineapple bowl, as pictured above. You want to de-core the middle woody part of the pineapple, as it's too tough to eat. Cut the pineapple into small even pieces, about the same size as you would get from canned pineapple pieces.
Pineapple Fried Rice with Leftover Rice
This recipe is best when made with leftover, day old rice. Often fried rice recipes are made this way, check out my Kimchi Fried Rice recipe. It's important not to make soggy rice. Nothing is worse than soggy rice, follow the recipe instructions, or use a rice cooker, but don't make soggy rice by adding too much water!
How much uncooked rice do you need? If making the rice right away for this recipe, allow rice to completely cool before using. I would cook 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice for the right amount of cooked rice needed for this recipe.
Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork Floss
We eat this dish in Malaysia all the time, and there are variations in making this dish. Pork floss is a type of dried meat with a cotton candy texture, used to garnish and flavor the fried rice. The pork floss or rousong in chinese, can be substituted for beef or chicken floss called serunding in Malay. Some people prefer not to use it at all, as it is quite expensive.
Recipe Tips
- If pineapple isn't sweet enough, add a bit of sugar to balance out the sweet, sour and salty in this dish. Important to find a ripe and sweet pineapple. If the pineapple isn't sweet enough, it throws the flavour balance off and won't taste right.
- Substitute a whole can of pineapple if not using a real pineapple
- Replace the shrimp with chicken
- Use day old rice for best results
It's important to balance the sweet, sour and salty in this dish. If the pineapple isn't sweet enough, add sugar to correct the flavour. If using canned pineapple, I use a whole can and adjust sweetness as required. You can also replace the shrimp with chicken, or add chicken with the shrimp. Day old rice is best, or at least prepared and cooled a few hours in advance, otherwise freshly made rice can get soggy.
Fried Rice Recipes worth checking out
It's always fun to serve the Malaysian or Thai Pineapple Fried Rice in a hollowed pineapple boat. Adds and easy wow factor, plus the necessary pineapple your meal. An authentic South East Asian rice recipe that everyone will love! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 500 grams raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chili finely sliced
- 1 red pepper capsicum
- ½ small onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups of cooked white rice
- 1 fresh pineapple whole, cored and chopped
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- cilantro
- pork floss for garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok until hot. Fry the garlic and red chili until fragrant. Add the shrimp and fry shrimp until it is cooked. Removed from heat and set aside. Don't overcook the shrimp!
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Fry the onion, turmeric, curry powder and red pepper and fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and pineapple and stir together. Then add the fish sauce, soy sauce. Stir fry for another minute. Taste and adjust if necessary.
- Add the cashews, cooked shrimp and cilantro. Serve in a hollowed pineapple boat, garnish with cilantro and pork floss and serve immediately.
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