Pineapple Fried Rice (Kao Pad Sapparod)

March 13, 2020

Pineapple Fried Rice (Kao Pad Sapparod) © kvalifood.com

A Thai fried rice where the sweetness and tartness of pineapple play off the savoury, curry-spiced rice. The cashews add nuttiness and crunch. Use whatever curry powder you like - there’s no single correct one. Serves 2, about 10 minutes of active cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 shrimp, medium size (leave 4 whole, cut the rest into small pieces)
1 egg
3 ½ dl cooked jasmine rice
60 ml onion, small dice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp shrimp paste (shrimp tomalley, optional)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sugar, granulated
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper, ground
125 ml fresh pineapple, small bite-sized pieces
½ dl roasted cashews
125 ml tomatoes, seeds removed, 1 ½ cm cubes
2 green onions, chopped
Cucumber slices, for serving

Directions

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a wok or large pan until hot. Sear the four whole shrimp until cooked through and set aside. In the same pan, cook the small shrimp pieces until done and set them aside too.

Add more oil to the wok if needed. Add the egg and scramble it lightly. When the egg is about halfway set, add the rice and onion. Toss to combine.

Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste (if using), curry powder, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Toss until the rice grains are separated and evenly coated with seasoning. If there are clumps of rice, press them apart with the back of your spatula.

Add the pineapple, cashews, and the small shrimp pieces. Toss until the rice is dry and the pineapple is heated through. Turn off the heat and fold in the tomatoes and most of the green onions, reserving some for garnish.

Plate the rice and top with the whole shrimp. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion. Serve with fresh cucumber slices on the side.

Notes

Leftover cold rice is ideal for fried rice. If making fresh rice, use slightly less water than normal and refrigerate before using if possible.
Use fresh pineapple rather than canned - canned is too sweet for this savoury dish and the tartness of fresh pineapple balances the salt better.
The shrimp paste here is not fermented shrimp paste (gapi). It’s made from shrimp tomalley cooked with herbs and seasoning - orange coloured, sold in glass jars, usually labelled “shrimp paste with soybean oil.”