The story of pineapple fried rice is a bit of a mystery. There is no clear consensus on who invented it or when, and there are conflicting stories about its origins. The most repeated story says that pineapple fried rice was invented in Thailand in the early 20th century. The story goes that a Thai chef was experimenting with different ways to use pineapple before it turned bad, and he came up with the idea of adding it to fried rice. The dish quickly became popular in Thailand, and it eventually spread to other parts of Asia and the world.

Kao Pad Sapparod- Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai pineapple fried rice is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. It is also a great way to use up leftover rice. Impress everybody, including yourself, by serving the rice in half of the hollowed-out pineapple. Next time you have some day-old rice, give Thai pineapple fried rice a try!

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southeast Asian, Thailand

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Soaking Chinese mushrooms: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Rice maker or Instant Pot
Wok or large skillet

Ingredients

4 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 tbsp Dried shrimp (optional)
2 tbsp Chopped onion or shallot
6 oz Medium shrimp
4 Chinese dried black mushroom
3 tbsp Asian fish sauce
3 cups Cold, cooked jasmine rice
2 large Eggs , lightly beaten
¾ cup Bite-size pieces fresh pineapple
2 small Fresh red peppers, finely shredded
Cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Prep – Soak Chinese dried mushroom in hot water for 20 minutes to soften. Remove stems and shred.
Cook – Heat wok. Add 2 tbsp oil. When hot, add dried shrimp and stir until lightly browned. Remove from Wok and set aside. Add onion and stir-fry until translucent. Then add shrimp and mushrooms. Stir in fish sauce and remove everything from the wok. Set aside.
Add 1 tbsp to the wok. When hot, add cold rice, breaking apart clumps. Stirring rapidly, cook rice until thoroughly heated through without browning. Make a well in the center of the rice. Add 1 tbsp oil. Add eggs and let them set slightly. When they achieve a soft-scrambled consistency, start incorporating rice by stirring in a circular motion with a fork or chopsticks.
Add back the cooked onion and shrimp-mushroom-fish sauce mixture. Add pineapple and stir-fry until everything is combined and heated throughout.
Serve – Transfer rice to a serving platter or, better yet, a hollowed out half pineapple. Garnish with cooked dried shrimp and fresh chili slivers. Sprinkle cilantro leaves, if using, over the rice. Serve.

Notes

Use day-old refrigerator jasmine rice. This is important because it will be drier and less sticky than freshly cooked rice.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you add too much rice to the pan, it will steam instead of fry.
Stir-fry the rice quickly over high heat. This will help to prevent the rice from becoming mushy.
Add the sauce to the rice at the end of cooking. This will help to prevent the rice from becoming soggy.
Garnish with chopped for peanuts for added crunch.