Curry Pineapple Fried Rice
Curry Pineapple Fried Rice with basil from Sonoko’s garden and a squeeze of lime.
Pineapple Fried Rice or Khao Phad Saparod, is a classic and popular dish in Thailand. The mix of sweet currants, tangy pineapple, earthy ground spices, and rich cashews make this dish completely crave-worthy. During the pandemic, I’ve found myself craving this dish, and with Sonoko Curry Powder in my pantry, I decided to try and re-create (and honor) this spectacular Thai recipe. The Kombu and dried Shiitake powder in Sonoko Curry Powder add extra complexity and umami to this already super-nuanced dish.
There are mixed recommendations about the ideal ripeness of the pineapple. I tend to prefer a just-barely-ripe pineapple over a fully deep yellow and super sweet one. The tanginess of a less ripe pineapple is a wonderful foil for the richness of the spices, shrimp, and cashews. Also, as the pineapple is tossed in wok with the hot rice, more of that sweetness will be drawn out. In a pinch, canned pineapple can certainly work, too.
When stir-frying, it’s important to move quickly, so have all your ingredients prepped and measured before you begin.
YIELD 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon (7 g) Sonoko Curry Powder
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon coconut sugar, or to taste (optional)
2 tablespoon soy Sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
4 tablespoon Neutral oil
3 cups Cooked Jasmine Rice (1 day old is best!)
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced into 1/2” pieces
8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into mix of 1 inch and ½ inch pieces
2 eggs, whisked in a bowl
3 scallions, sliced into thin rounds, greens and whites
2 roma tomatoes, diced into 1/2” pieces, optionally seeded
1 green bell pepper, diced in 1/2” pieces
1 ½ cups fresh Pineapple, cut into 1-½ inch chunks, (for more sweetness use fully ripe, for more tang use just barely ripe)
⅓ cup whole cashews, lightly toasted
¼ cup raisins or dried currants
½ lime, juiced
½ lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
½ English cucumber, cut on the bias into 1/8” rounds (for serving)
small handful of cilantro and/or (thai) basil (for serving)
1 Bird’s Eye Chili Pepper, sliced into thin rounds (optional, for serving)
PREPARATION
In a small bowl, mix together the Sonoko Curry Powder, salt, coconut sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, and white pepper until well combined. Set aside
Place a large wok, non-stick skillet, or cast iron skillet, over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and the diced onion. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened and browned in spots.
Push the onion to the edges of the pan, then in the open center, add 1 tablespoon of oil and the shrimp. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to turn pink and opaque.
Push the onion and shrimp to the edges of the pan, then in the open center, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and pour in the egg mixture. Allow it to pool slightly and spread then immediately add the cooked Jasmine rice on top of the still-wet egg. Allow the egg and the rice to bind together in place and begin to brown lightly, about 1-2 minutes. Then toss the ingredients in the pan to distribute the egg and rice.
Add the scallions, tomatoes, bell pepper, pineapple, cashews, and raisins or currants to the pan and toss to combine. Allow the newly added ingredients to warm through and fry on the bottom of the pan for 1-2 minutes at time. Then toss and repeat about 3 times.
Drizzle the mixed seasonings and spices into the pan and over the rice, toss to combine, then repeat the frying and tossing step about 2-3 more times until rice is browned in spots and veggies are just tender.
Transfer the fried rice from the pan to a large platter, sprinkle with lime juice and fresh herbs. Garnish with cucumber slices and lime wedge at the sides and serve the sliced fresh chili pepper separately for guests to add to their liking.
Recipe developed in collaboration with Kali Bush-Vineberg.