Thai Pineapple Fried Rice in a Pineapple Shell

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Cookbook

World Vegan Feast

Published by Vegan Heritage Press

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This image courtesy of Bryanna Clark Grogan

This dish is quick and easy to make, but delicious enough for company. Thai dishes are traditionally made with white jasmine rice, but I make this with long grain brown jasmine rice. If unavailable, basmati rice may be substituted. You can use any kind of mushrooms in this recipe, but oyster mushrooms or lobster mushrooms are a plus!

Serves4

Cooking MethodStir-frying

CostInexpensive

Total Timeunder 1 hour

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe CourseMain Course, Side Dish

Dietary ConsiderationEgg-free, Gluten-free, Halal, Kosher, Lactose-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

EquipmentWok

MealDinner

Taste and TextureFruity, Nutty, Savory, Sweet, Umami

Ingredients

1 large ripe pineapple
2 tablespoons expeller-pressed Chinese peanut oil or light sesame oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cups cold cooked fragrant long-grain brown rice
1 cup young green beans, steamed or boiled until crisp-tender
4 ounces firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup toasted cashews
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons toasted shredded or flaked coconut, optional

Instructions

Halve the pineapple lengthwise, leaving the leafy top intact and cutting through it. Hollow out each half (a serrated, curved grapefruit knife works well). Chop 1 cup of the fruit very small and set aside for the rice. Cut the remaining pineapple into ½-inch cubes and set aside for garnish.
Crumble the cold rice between your fingers to separate the grains and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat, swirling to spread it in the bottom of the pan.
Add the onion and mushrooms and stir-fry until they start to soften. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for about 1 or 2 minutes. Add the ginger and stir-fry for another minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the cold rice to the pan. Stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes over high heat, then add the green beans, tofu, and the 1 cup of chopped pineapple and stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes more. Add the cashews, soy sauce, and sugar and stir-fry until the ingredients are well combined and rice is heated thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a little if it seems to be sticking and browning. Add black pepper to taste.
Remove the pan from the heat and fill each half of the prepared pineapple evenly with the hot rice. Garnish with extra chunks of the pineapple, the sliced green onions, and coconut, if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Fried rice is best when made with cold rice, so it’s a perfect dish for using leftover rice. If you cook rice especially for this dish, make it the day before or early in the day and refrigerate it.
If you are in a hurry, spread the hot cooked rice on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer just long enough to cool the grains.
1½ cups dry rice will make a little over 4 cups cooked.