Out of all the fried rice recipes, I’ve got to admit that Thai pineapple fried rice is my favorite. Shrimp are also added to it, which makes the dish fragrant in a unique way. The charm of this dish is that it only has a distinctive taste with certain ingredients.
This isn’t your typical soy-laden fried rice; it has special elements like juicy pineapple and plump shrimp, as well as loads of tender vegetables and a touch of crunch from a handful of cashews or raisins, which can also be included.
For a sensational taste, authentic Thai sauces are added; generally, three of them are fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sometimes dark soy sauce. For extra presentation, this cooked dish is then served in a pineapple-carved bowl.
The “pineapple” in this may throw you off for a second, but believe me, it doesn’t only make a colorful concoction; it is an exemplary combination that works unexpectedly.
The recipe makes you experience a lot of things, like following a pineapple or maybe just properly opening a can, and even deveining a shrimp’s gut. If you have never tasted this combination, then, needless to say, you are going to love it.
Let us look out for the unanswered questions that will eventually lead you to make this extraordinary dish.
What is Thai pineapple fried rice with shrimp made of?
Pineapple is eaten as a fresh fruit in Thailand, but the twist is that it is frequently used in cooking too. Thai pineapple fried rice with shrimp is often called Khao Pad Sapparod in the local language, and it’s a mix of so many ingredients.
Freshly made rice, pineapple, and shrimp are the main ingredients, but Thai food’s base is always made with shallots and onions, accompanied by garlic and a trio sauce with a little pungency that is white ground pepper and a dash of chicken powder, and then stir-fried in a wok and heated oil.
Do you cook rice in oil first for fried rice?
Yes, this is the first step in making fried rice.
People think that the aroma and texture only come with adding the sauces and spices, but the primary principle is to heat the oil and put in the cooked rice; this usually takes 5–6 minutes.
Stirring every 30 seconds allows the surface of the rice to absorb the oil and become crunchy while also adding flavor. The continuous stirring also makes the rice grains fluffy and isolated from each other.
How to make crispy Thai pineapple fried rice with shrimp?
INGREDIENTS:
- Rice
- Shrimps
- Pineapple (canned or freshly cut)
- Eggs
- Shallots
- Onion
- Scallion
- Garlic
- Red bell pepper
- Cashew
- Cilantro
- Ground white pepper
- Chicken powder
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Cooking oil
STEPS:
- In a pan add approx two tables of cooking oil and heat it, for additional taste fry the shrimp head until the oil is bubbly (Take out the head).
- In the fragrant oil add onion and shallots, when it caramelizes, add the scallion.
- After two minutes put in the bell peppers.
- Once everything is incorporated, add the rice.
- Keep the rice and vegetable mixture on a side, in the same pan crack eggs and gently stir them until they are more like scrambled eggs.
- Enough amount of fish sauce and oyster sauce is added with sriracha sauce for the spice kick.
- At this point, add a tablespoon of chicken sauce and white pepper ground. The cubed pineapples are included in the mixture.
- Topped up with cashews and a few chives, gently stir the fried rice and lower the heat.
- In a different pan, heat the oil and fry your deveined shrimp until the body is rolled up and the color is turned light brown with crispy edges.
- Dish out your Thai pineapple fried rice with shrimp with cilantro on the top and enjoy.
Is fried rice supposed to be crispy?
The answer is obvious: the rice should be crispy.
But here’s my preference: stir-fry the rice until it’s lightly toasted and soft, with a little translucent brown color, without turning it into a clumpy ball, and stir it frequently to incorporate with a slow pan (wok) movement to avoid the mushy part.
However, to achieve the real texture of fried rice, make sure to use rice that has been made earlier than the day you decide to cook fried rice. The rice could be 1 day old, 2 days old, or even 4 days old; the days don’t matter, but the type of rice does.
What type of rice is used in pineapple fried rice?
Medium-grain white jasmine rice is the ideal rice type to use for pineapple fried rice.
Here is why. It doesn’t get sticky, so they don’t get chunky even after cooking in boiling water, during steaming, and precisely after stir-frying.
Jasmine rice is superior compared to any other rice grain, and that is because it doesn’t contain a vast amount of starch, hence having an outstanding consistency. Although short grain is widely used for making sticky foods like sushi.
Is it necessary to use vinegar in fried rice?
Not really.
The use of vinegar is not a necessity in fried rice, but vinegar is one of the ingredients used much less than other condiments like fish sauce, sesame oil, and mostly oyster sauce. Vinegar can be used to add a tangy, sour flavor to bland foods.
Mainly, the type of vinegar also affects its use, for example, if you are dressing your salad pour a little bit of white vinegar for making sticky and enhance the rice flavor add rice vinegar with sesame oil and have a chef-kiss worth of fried rice.
Can you crack an egg straight into rice?
Yes, you can crack the raw egg straight into your fried rice pan, or whisk a couple of eggs in a bowl, and pouring works fine too.
The whisked eggs complete the intent of mixing them into fried rice entirely, but the egg cracking adds more crunch.
The only thing you need to do is make sure the pan or work is hot enough to allow for a quick interpretation of the fried rice and egg. Once everything is combined, check the state of the food; it will be more frothy, creamy, and pale yellow from pearl white.
Are shrimps and prawns the same?
Theoretically, the shrimp and prawns look almost the same, but they are different from each other in different aspects.
Consider shrimp; they have three pairs of claw-like legs, whereas shrimp only have one pair of legs. Another distinction is that shrimp have curled bodies, whereas prawns are more straight.
The real question arises if we can use prawns instead of shrimp because it could really depend upon where you live. Yes, they are interchangeable but keep in mind that while they may appear and look similar, they have a very subtle, distinct taste that some people notice.
The prawns are a little sweeter and meatier while shrimp have flimsy and bit on the salty side, though they cook the same and thus are also interchangeable as per your convenience.
How do you devein a shrimp?
The process is uncomplicated if you follow the steps carefully. First, pull off the legs and heads (if they are still attached), then peel off the hard shells around its curved body and tail (you can keep the tail intact if you prefer it).
Then lay down the shrimp on its side and run the sharp knife on the back cautiously because you don’t need to cut too deep; here you’ll encounter a big black-blue veiny thing. With a fork or toothpick, pick out the whole vein.
For your information, shrimp don’t have veins because they have an open circulatory system; hence, the blue-black thing is a tube or canal that functions to pass the sand and body wastes.
However, shrimp deveining isn’t a personal choice, as it is really essential for taste, hygiene, and, most importantly, your health.
What happens if I fry a shrimp head in oil?
If you fry a pulled-off shrimp head in heated oil (usually used later for fried rice), then it gives the oil a special aroma, more like a slightly salty taste.
Once you have done this step, you throw away the heads while adding the rice for stir-frying.
Is pineapple shrimp fried rice healthy for you?
Without a doubt, Thai pineapple fried rice with shrimp is the healthiest food option for you.
This colorful dish has lots of nutritious vegetables with plenty of protein on the side, and then, of course, jasmine rice is a top-up for a healthy lifestyle. Here’s more of what the whole dish contains in itself:
| NUTRITION | PER SERVING |
| Calories | 310kcal |
| Carbs | 39g |
| Total fat | 5g |
| Cholesterol | 215mg |
| Sodium | 1690mg |
| Protein | 29g |
SUMMARY:
- The Thai pineapple fried rice is a recipe that will satisfy your sweet-savory cravings.
- This cooked dish will make the melt-in-mouth food more realistically present.
- Thai fried rice with pineapple is a crowd-pleaser thus it can make a mouthwatering appetizer, thanksgiving food, or an ordinary whole-day meal.
- The whole dish is considered a signature dish of Thailand, but it surely has more varieties in the whole world.
- Featuring vegetables, meat ad high-quality rice, it will be surely high in proteins, crabs, and minerals.
Related Articles:
- Chicken Adobo (Yummiest Ever)
- Thai Green Chicken Curry (The Spiciest!)
- Hotpot (All You Need To Know About It!)
Recent Posts
Beijing beef gives off an almost intimidating feeling, but once you try it, you are going to love it, even if you just "like" the feeling of it. If you haven't tried this dish, you are lacking an...
An egg is an all-rounder in a breakfast play, but eating it daily, in the same manner, will make you get bored of it. When you're alone, you don't enjoy the food, which naturally makes you crave...