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 especially love adding 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 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 flavour 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.
The other tip I have is to balance the sweet, sour and salty flavours of the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice. It’s important to get a sweet and flavourful pineapple, I can’t stress this enough. If the pineapple isn’t sweet enough, it throws the flavour balance off and won’t taste right. Add a tablespoon of sugar and adjust to taste.
It’s always fun to serve the Malaysian or Thai Pineapple Fried Rice in a hollowed pineapple boat, used a bowl. Adds and easy wow factor, plus the necessary pineapple your meal. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Pineapple Fried Rice
Authentic Thai Pineapple Fried Rice served inside a pineapple! Easy to make and delicious!
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
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar* to taste
- 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
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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!
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Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Fry the onion, turmeric, curry powder and red pepper and fry for about 2 minutes.
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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.
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Add the cashews, cooked shrimp and cilantro. Serve in a hollowed pineapple boat, garnish with cilantro and pork floss and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
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.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
I started this website as a way to capture the recipes that I grew up with, and pass them onto the next generation. Being world travellers, there are foods from all over the world, but my passion is primarily the Slavic and Russian foods I grew up with.
I have successfully made this about five times now it is that good! Thank you for this recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback
Hi, I made this recipe last night for dinner with a Thai Red Curry Chicken. This rice recipe was perfection!! I did make some tweaks because I did not have the exact ingredients but the core of the recipe was still there.
The details of the recipe helped me make sure not to mess up the rice. I made the rice a few hours ahead of time and made it slightly on the dryer and fluffier side by not soaking or adding too much water while cooking. Also, I fried some egg and added it in as a garnish later. I like egg in fried rice! I did not use shrimp or chicken because I already another main course. Amazingly, I even had frozen fresh pineapple pieces that I defrosted and this worked great to keep on hand in a pinch. I also did not have fish sauce and used oyster sauce instead. It’s a little on the sweeter side so I did not need to add any sugar. Thank you for this recipe! With the order of ingredients and especially how the curry and turmeric powder is used in the recipe, it really brings the authenticity and is a definite keeper! My husband LOVED it! 🙂
Hi Leyla! Thanks so much for checking it out! It shows how versatile the recipe can be, love the frozen pineapple idea!!! So glad you guys loved it!!! ???? Thanks for the great feedback! 🙂
Do you use fresh tumeric or powdered tumeric? Also what type of cooking oil is best to use? Thank you 🙂
Hi Alisa, I use powdered turmeric, and you can use any cooking oil you like with a neutral flavor, like canola or vegetable oil! 🙂
I used coconut oil when I tried the recipe, and I thought it really worked nicely to bring a little sweetness.
Great idea!
I’m
I’m trying this tonight. I’d love to know if you have a drunken noodle recipe….
Pad-Ke-Mow…. it’s a favorite of ours but I find it really hard to find a restaurant that makes this well on a consistently good basis….
Thanks
Liane
Hi Liane, sorry I don’t have a drunken noodle recipe, but will keep an eye out for it! Hope you love the pineapple fried rice! ????
I occasionally venture into fried rice, and this will be a good one to try.
Oh I had no idea how to use pork floss. Love pineapple and soy sauce combination! but the curry and turmeric powder will make it much more yummy :-9
Thanks Rotwein! It’s definitely a delicious dish! Hope you try it and enjoy it! ????
I love this! I love adding pineapple in with Asian inspired dishes. Plus the hollowed out shell makes for such fun plating!
Thanks Katie! I love making this, fun and delicious! 🙂 Thanks for checking it out!