Pineapple basil fried rice

Pineapple basil fried rice with red bell pepper, carrots, sugar snap peas, basil, cucumber

For those who love Thai food, Pineapple basil Fried Rice is a well-known name, and everyone would agree that a Thai dinner is incomplete without a bowl of fragrant sweet and spicy fried rice served in a carved pineapple bowl! While you can’t always have the pineapple as a serving platter, you sure can enjoy a lovely meal by making Pineapple fried rice at home. This exotic rice dish is really simple to make, and will surely be memorable.

Thai fried rice has a uniquely sweet and savory quality that makes it quite different from its Chinese counterpart. The sweetness of pineapple and bell pepper contrasts beautifully with the spices and the cool cucumber. If you have access to Thai basil, it’s absolutely delicious; however, regular Italian basil is a perfectly acceptable substitute.

This classic Thai pineapple fried rice recipe can be easily cooked at home. Traditionally jasmine rice (I used sona masoori) is fried up with chunks of pineapple, plus cashews, and veggies in fish sauce (I cannot handle fish sauce, I am better of, by using dark Soya sauce).

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked rice (day old rice works best, if not cook the rice an hour or 2 and let it cool to room temp, before cooking this fried rice)
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper sliced length wise
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper sliced length wise
• 10- 12 thai basil leaves
• 1 carrot sliced at an angle
• 10 sugar snap peas cut in half
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (fresh pine apple makes a lot of difference)
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce or 6 tbsp light Soya sauce
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 10- 12 roasted unsalted cashew nuts (take the raw cashew nuts and fry them in 1 tsp of oil until golden brown)
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 stalk of spring onion chopped at an angle for garnishing
• 1 small cucumber (kheera) slices for garnishing

Pineapple basil fried rice

irections-

1. Mix 1 Tbsp. oil with the rice, using your fingers to separate any chunks into grains. Set aside.
2. In a hot wide skillet or wok, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil, Crack egg (if using) into wok and stir quickly to cook (like making scrambled eggs).  remove and set aside.
   In the same wok, heat three tablespoons vegetable oil, add chopped garlic, crushed red chili flakes and sauté for a 10 sec.Add, yellow onions, basil, carrots, sugar snap peas, red and green bell peppers, then the pineapple, sauté them for 1 min on high heat with constant stirring.
3. Add dark soy sauce, black pepper powder and salt. Let this cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, so all the ingredients are cooked together. (Remember the veggies has to have a crunch)
4. Add cooked rice to the wok. Mix well.
5. Add scrambled eggs and mix gently, top it with cashew nuts, green onions and little more basil.
6. Serve and enjoy with cucumber slices!Pineapple basil fried rice is always a favorite, you can add tofu, chicken for a protein meal.  Vegans may omit the egg without losing the flavor or nutrients of this great dish.

Pineapple basil fried rice served in a pineapple bowl