COOKING NOTES FOR PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
- Using day-old rice: Traditionally, fried rice was a dish that people cooked to repurpose leftover rice from the night before. That’s why most fried rice recipes call for day-old rice. If you don’t have leftover rice on hand, cook a big batch of rice (about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of rice) and spread it over plates or a large baking sheet to cool. Let the rice dry out for an hour or two. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture, so it’s not ideal for fried rice.
- Selecting the right pineapple: If you are using fresh pineapple, you want to use one that is golden on the outside. If you use one that has a lot of green color in the outer skin, it means that the pineapple isn’t ripe enough and the fruit will have a sour taste. If the bottom of the pineapple starts getting moldy, don’t worry. The fruit usually won’t be rotten on the inside. If you see some discolored bits in the pineapple (parts that look brown and not golden), just chop it away. The rest of the pineapple is still fine to eat.
- Substitutions: If you have curry powder on hand, you can use that to replace the turmeric.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons safflower oil, divided (any high-heat oil works, too)
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- 1 cup diced yellow onions (about 1/2 large onion)
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 large red pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup (70g) frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 6 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups diced pineapple
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped basil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the whisked eggs and scramble it with a spatula. Continue scrambling until eggs are cooked, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a plate and set aside. If the wok or pan is dirty, wipe it down with paper towels.
- Heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions start to soften, about 2 minutes. Mix in the red pepper, carrots and peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the turmeric and coriander and stir until the vegetables are coated with the spices. Add the rice and mix well with the vegetables. Continue cooking and stirring the rice for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, quickly mix the soy sauce (or tamari) with the brown sugar and pour that sauce over the rice. Add the white pepper, if using, and stir until well incorporated.
- Add the eggs, pineapple and sliced scallions to the rice and stir to distribute. Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped basil. Serve immediately.
Bottomline
This recipe is vitamin rich and high in anti-oxidant due to pineapples and turmeric. Instead of adding this to your recipe, you can take multivitamins to cover all nutrients that are needed for your body!
