I have tried many versions of this classic Thai dish, but this one is my favorite, so I thought I’d share it with you. I love the contrast of the sweet pineapple and raisins with the salty fish sauce and the crunch of the cashews. I use large fresh shrimp and rice that I have chilled in the fridge without a cover.
And remember! A little oil in a hot wok goes a long way!
As with most stir fry recipes, your prep time takes the longest. Gather and assemble all your ingredients. I use small paper plates for each ingredient to be stir-fried and place them beside me, along with the pre-measured sauce ingredients.
Pineapple, Shrimp and Cashew Fried Rice
Serves 6
What you’ll need:
½ pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined or rock shrimp
Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons grape seed or other neutral oil, like canola
2 cups sweet onion slices (Texas sweet, Maui, orVidalia halved and thinly sliced)
1 large green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 large clove of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons good quality fish sauce or to taste
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
3 cups cold (unsalted) cooked rice
*I combine ½ brown and ½ white Basmatti rice. Jasmine rice can also be used
1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into bite-sized chunks
½ to ¾ cups whole cashews, toasted
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves (with extra for garnish)
Steps:
- Pat the shrimp dry and season with a little salt.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a wok (or large skillet) over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking hot.
- Add shrimp and cook quickly, flipping once, until pink and opaque, about 1 minute or so. (Don’t overcook the shrimp!) Transfer to a plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil in the same wok, keeping the heat medium-high. Add the onion and cook, tossing/stirring until browned on the edges but not completely soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, fish sauce and chili-garlic sauce and cook. Stirring until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
- Add the cold rice and green onion. Stir to break up any rice clumps until the mixture is well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the shrimp and any accumulated juices, the pineapple, cashews, raisins and soy sauce. Season to taste with more soy sauce or fish sauce.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves. Serve garnished with additional cilantro.
