Pineapple friend rice, an exotic and colorful food from Thai cuisine. It’s a great way to use leftover rice and ingredients are easy to gather. The best part is, it can be easily customized to suit one’s preferences.

It is pretty easy to make after the prep work is done and the  finished dish is so vibrantly colorful and the curry powder gives it an amazing aroma.

One of the prettiest ways to serve fried rice is- in a pineapple boat, A treat to the eyes too. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture but waiting for the pineapple season to take a picture with the actual pineapple, Here it is!

For making the pineapple boat, all you got to do is pick a nice color and well ripe pineapple (Check for ripeness by lifting the pineapple by a single leaf (choose a leaf toward the top). If the leaf comes out, it’s ripe) Slice 1/4 on the side, cut around the inside of the pineapple, following the rim. Cut deeply, but try not to let your knife go through the skin to the other side.

The ingredients you will need are:

1 cup rice
1.5 cups water/vegetable broth
1 cup diced pineapple, (fresh is better, but canned works too)
1.5 Tbsp. Soy sauce or Tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp curry powder
½ cup diced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
10-12 pieces Tofu
1 carrot, finely diced (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup roasted salted/unsalted cashews
Salt – to taste
5 green onions, thinly sliced – to garnish

Any long grain variety of rice (Basmati or Jasmine rice) is good, brown or white, cook as per instructions in the pack, preferably cooked few hours before.

Method:

1. Cook 1 cup rice with 1.5 cups of water a few hours before so that the rice cools completely. This helps rice not becoming mushy while cooking.

Add a little oil to the rice (up to 1 Tsp.) and work through with your fingers. This will separate the grains of rice, so that they don’t stick together. Set aside.

2. Blend half of pineapple, red pepper flakes and soy sauce. Keep aside.

3. In a large Wok or heavy bottom pan, on high heat, add oil.

4. Add garlic, curry powder and then onions. You can add tofu now and let the brown lightly or can separately fry them and add later with rice. As they cook, first add the vegetables and then rest of pineapple. If using frozen peas, add along with cashews.

5. Do not over cook, the vegetables need should be crisp yet cooked. Add the pineapple-soy sauce-red pepper flakes paste. Give a quick mix and as it starts to cook, add the rice, cashews and salt.

6.Once the rice is all mixed with vegetables and sauce, add the thinly sliced green onions with the white part. Give a quick mix and Serve hot.

Happy cooking