Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp
August 24, 2017 by Nicole Collins
It's very possible pineapple is my favorite fruit.
I feel like pineapple has been on trend this season too. Every where I look, it's pineapple and flamingos.
Pineapple and flamingos.
I've gotten consumed by the craze. I'm sure that's not a surprise to you. I bought both pineapple and flamingo milk jar glasses (that I still haven't used yet). I bought both pineapple and flamingo inflatable drink holders for the pool (though I don't have a pool). So, yeah. Pineapple and flamingos.
I think I really just like the pretty yellow and pink colors.
So, today we're actually going to use the pretty pineapple. And it's going to be a pretty yellow and pink!
Pineapple Fried Rice is a traditional Thai dish. It's sweet. It's salty. It's got a little warm spice. I first had it while I was eating at this AMAZING Thai restaurant in Georgetown. I fell instantly in love. In fact, that little Thai restaurant was the saving grace of my Georgetown trip.
You see, I was in Georgetown last month for a cupcake and macaron tour. I bought the tour for Sultan's birthday the previous year. Life sometimes just gets in the way, so it really took us that long to book the tour. That's a lot of anticipation!
The tour was so sketchy. Talk about over promising and under delivering. Our tour guide was nice enough, but he was soliciting us for tips within 5 minutes of meeting us. We didn't see any of the historical sites we were supposed to see on the tour. We didn't taste from all of the bakeries that we were supposed to see on the tour. And, we were pretty sure at one point that our tour guide was taking us down an abandoned alley to “off” us. I would not recommend Best Tours to anyone that's thinking about taking a food tour.
After the weird tour was finally over, we took it upon ourselves to explore Georgetown and feed ourselves. I couldn't tell you what the restaurant was called that we ended up in, but I could show you exactly where it is and tell you exactly what it tasted like.
Heaven. It tasted like heaven.
So, today's recipe is my take on that amazing Pineapple Fried Rice. I tried to mimic their flavors as best as I could. Of course, nothing will taste as good as true authentic Thai food. But, I must say, this recipe definitely satisfies the craving! It's pretty darn close to the real deal, in my opinion.
The rice is the star of the show here. Jasmine rice is definitely the way to go. It's a long grain rice, and it's got a little stickiness to it. I'm usually a brown rice girl, but sometimes jasmine rice is the only answer. This is one of those times.
The rice gets cooked in a coconut milk bath with a hint of curry powder. The goal is to infuse flavor in to every layer, so why not start at the top.
While the rice is going, we get our simple salt and pepper shrimp roasting. There's enough flavor in everything else that the simplicity of the shrimp is kind of a nice surprise.
And then once the shrimp and rice are done, we stir fry everything together, and we're done. It actually all comes together pretty quickly. I use coconut oil to keep the theme going, but if you don't like coconut oil, use a flavorless oil for stir frying (like vegetable or canola oil). The pineapple, craisins, cashews, and shrimp all get tossed in the rice with a little more curry powder and soy sauce; we give the flavors a minute to mix; and voila!
The curry flavor is subtle in here, and I kind of like it that way. But you could certainly add half a teaspoon more if you want to spice it up a little more. The restaurant also added a scrambled egg, but somehow I had zero eggs in my fridge when I made this. I don't even know how that happens.
The dish really has a unique and interesting flavor to it. When I first ordered it, I was a little worried that it was going to be too sweet. But, the sweetness is what makes this dish special. It feels fairly light too, which is unexpected. Rice tends to make you feel weighed down, but this doesn't do that. I bet it's because of that yummy pineapple!
Pineapple isn't just for breakfast or dessert anymore, folks! So, please go make this recipe now!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Rice:
¾ cup jasmine rice
½ cup water
½ cup lite coconut milk
½ tsp curry powder
For the Shrimp:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
olive oil cooking spray
For Assembling:
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp curry powder ( or 1 tsp, if you prefer)
1 tsp soy sauce
½ cup craisins (dried cranberries)
½ cup salted cashew halves
1 cup pineapple, diced
Directions:
Make the Rice: In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk and water to a boil over high heat. Add rice and ½ tsp curry powder. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 mins. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Meanwhile, Roast the Shrimp: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Spray with olive oil cooking spray. Place shrimp on tray, and spritz with a touch more olive oil spray. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to distribute seasonings. Lay shrimp in a single layer. Roast for 8-10 mins.
Fry the Rice: Heat coconut oil in a wok or large non stick skillet over medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add rice, ½ tsp curry powder, and soy sauce. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add craisins, cashews, and pineapple. Stir fry for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in roasted shrimp, and toss to combine. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve!
Recipe notes:
*I prefer fresh pineapple in this, but drained canned pineapple would certainly work too.
*To pick out the best pineapple at the market, smell the bottom of the pineapple. If it has a sweet smell, you'll have a sweet pineapple. If it smells like nothing, it'll taste like nothing. The nose knows! I'll stand in the produce aisle smelling every pineapple until I find a sweet one. It's weird, but worth it!
*You don't have to use coconut milk for the rice if that's not your thing. You could use all water (still totaling 1 cup of liquid) instead.
*You could also scramble an egg and add it to this mix, if you'd like.
*You could add an extra half teaspoon of curry powder with the fruit if you want a little extra heat from the curry flavor. Otherwise, the curry in here is pretty subtle.
*This is a conservative 21 day fixed approved portion of rice.
*You could easily swap out the shrimp for your favorite protein. Chicken or beef would work here too.
*If you're really feeling fancy, reserve the pineapple shell for serving the fried rice. It's great for presentation, and it adds just an extra touch of pineapple flavor.
