This fancy fried rice – Khao Pad Sapparot (Thai Pineapple Fried Rice) combines the flavors of pineapples, raisins, and cashew nuts with a hint of curry that work together to produce an exquisite array of tastes in your mouth. This dish can be made vegetarian but it’s common to add shrimp or chicken to the dish. Often served in a hollowed-out pineapple, it is sure to please the crowd every time!
A year ago, around this time, I travelled around Southeast Asia to research on recipes and dishes to include in my cookbook Rice. Noodles. Yum. (Everyone’s Favorite Southeast Asian Dishes). I went to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. It was an amazing trip and truly a once-in-lifetime unforgettable experience.
I have enjoyed not only learning about the culture of my region and our wonderful neighbors, eating the best food in the world but, most of all, interacting with so many kind and generous people everywhere I went. This is part 2 of this memorable journey and features my adventures in Thailand and Vietnam.
Join me as I look back on this one-of-a-kind experience. And of course, as promised….scroll down to find a free sample recipe from our book as requested by our friends from Facebook.
Before we go any further and in case you’re wondering, the cookbook is out right now and I do encourage you to check it out in the following outlets. We have received great reviews for it including a coveted starred endorsement from Publishers Weekly.
RICE. NOODLES. YUM. (Everyone’s Favorite South East Asian Dishes). 75 delicious rice and noodle dishes, savory and sweet all in full color!
➡️ Amazon > https://goo.gl/zk7XWX
➡️Barnes & Noble > https://goo.gl/QYXWTz
➡️Books-A-Million > https://goo.gl/QYQxGH
➡️IndieBound – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781624147715
With a variety of authentic popular fried rice dishes, noodle favorites like Pad Thai, Pansit, Pho Bo, Mie Goreng and so much more, plus the yummiest street food and sweet treats – this cookbook has a recipe for everyone! It’s like traveling to South East Asia without having to leave home.
The video below would give you a sampling of what you can find in the book.
As promised, we are giving away a free recipe from our cookbook – Khao Pad Sapparot (Thai Pineapple Fried Rice). Simply scroll down to find the recipe. It’s so good and hope you try it soon!
My bff, Ruby Cuevas, kindly accompanied me on my trip to Thailand and Vietnam. Our first stop was in Bangkok, Thailand. Naturally, our first destination was Khao San Road, the traveler hub in the bustling city of Bangkok.
It was indeed a happening place and did not disappoint. There were so many people here (which I loved!) and so many food and restaurants to check out.
The above gives you a feel of the place.
Street food galore. Can’t miss all the food! I, of course, looked for and tried a variety of rice and noodle dishes.
After a long walk around Khaosan Road, it was time to sleep and get ready for the next day’s adventures!
For breakfast, we made sure we tried a Thai popular breakfast called Jok, a rice porridge or congee with meat and eggs. It was so tasty and truly an early morning comfort food!
Where there was food, I was there! I loved trying so many of these yummy street food!
But, as much as I wanted to just eat during my entire trip, we had to get down to some business and learn how to cook some yummy Thai rice and noodle dishes.
That’s me making the egg for Pad Thai!
Let’s look at some of the delicious dishes I learned from the cooking class which made it to the book!
Khao Soy Gai (Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken) – This is to-die-for delicious!
Jok Moo (Rice Porridge with Pork Meatballs) – Best way to begin the day!
Yum Woon Sen (Spicy Mung Bean Noodle Salad) – This is as delicious as it looks! So good!
Pad Thai – a noodle cookbook won’t be complete without it! Better than a restaurant!
And, then we were off to Vietnam!
Considered as one of the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh (Co Lieng), this no-frills, no-nonsense eatery has the best Vietnamese noodle bowls! Just thinking about the food here makes me so hungry!
Again, a most amazing providence, the first person I met was a Christian, who eventually helped me to find a church in the city. The Lord was truly the best guide on this trip!
We passed this eatery by the road every single day while we were in Ho Chi Minh. It was always packed in the morning so I told Ruby, we couldn’t leave the city without trying this first!
We were not disappointed! I could eat their breakfast every day!
Look at all that yumminess!
It was worth the long queue! Food was excellent and enough to keep us going the for the entire day!
I have enjoyed traveling all over Southeast Asia but I must say the most memorable was my trip to Vietnam!
This cooking class was one of a kind! I have learned so much from Chef Tan and feel totally indebted to him.
I had a one-on-one tutorial with him and to this day I cannot forget the many tips and tricks he’s told me on how to make the best Vietnamese food!
My first class with Ruby and a sweet couple from New Zealand. Later on, I had a one-on-one tutorial with Chef Tan.
He was happy with my accomplishment and gave me a certificate for it! Yay!
Of course, I cannot go to Vietnam and not do some shopping and enjoy the best coffee – Vietnamese Iced Coffee!
And here are some of the recipes I learned how to cook and have been included in the cookbook. This would give you a flavor of what food we included in the book! All are delicious, guaranteed!!!
If there is one recipe that defines this book – this is it – Pho Bo or Beef Noodle Soup. This is seriously the best pho soup ever! Beef broth made from scratch, slowly cooked and melt-in-your-mouth tender beef brisket plus some thinly sliced steak cooked rare in the hot broth for good measure and overall perfectly spiced and seasoned – this is the ultimate soup!
The book is worth buying just for this recipe alone. It’s that good. So if you’re a fan of beef noodle soup – you have to buy this book!
Fancy some sweets? Mango sticky rice, Vietnamese-style, is simply the best!
I totally fell in love with this Vietnamese Fried Rice!
Of course, we included some delicious Vietnamese noodle bowls as they can’t be missed!
Have we convinced you yet how delicious the recipes are in this book? But wait, don’t take my word for it, this tasty and super easy to make Thai Pineapple Fried Rice would prove my point!
Khao Pad Sapparot (Thai Pineapple Fried Rice)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cooking oil of choice
- 8 oz (225 g) prawns or shrimps, peeled and deveined but with tails intact
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 g) curry powder, or more to taste
- 4 cups (645 g) cooked long-grain white rice like jasmine or basmati rice, cold or chilled
- 1 cup (150 g) raisins
- 1 cup (200 g) pineapple chunks (see Note)
- 1/2 cup (75 g) cashews
- 2 tomatoes, sliced and deseeded
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish saucwe
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- salt, to taste
- 3 stalks or about 2 tbsp (12 g) green onions, thinly sliced
- whole pineapple, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil on medium–high. When the oil is hot, add the prawns and fry for 3 or 4 minutes or until fully cooked. Prawns are done when their flesh is fully opaque and orange. Scoop out the prawns, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Adjust the heat to medium–low. Add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook for several seconds or until aromatic. Add the curry powder and cook briefly, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Add the cooked rice to the pan and pat it down with a spatula, then fold the rice over. Do these two steps a few times until the rice grains have separated and the rice is fully coated with the curry powder. Add the raisins, pineapple, cashews and tomatoes and mix everything well. Return half of the cooked prawns to the wok. Season the mixture with the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and salt. Stir to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the remaining prawns and green onions. You can also serve this inside a hollowed-out fresh pineapple, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated on April 25th, 2024 at 10:06 am
Delicious! And it is so much fun to serve in the pineapple shell.
Author
That is so true! I love that the pineapple itself is the perfect vehicle for the rice. Thanks!
Wow what a great recipe and great post! This recipe was good I had to try it for myself and it did not disappoint
Author
Thank you so much Noelle! You totally made my day and I am so glad that you got to try it. If you haven’t yet, don’t forget to check out our cookbook with many more yummy rice and noodle dishes.
What a great post and a great recipe. Very interesting to see all your travels through Asia and the different foods. I keep going back to the picture of the Pho, I have been wanting a big bowl for months.
I love this presentation in a hollowed-out pineapple, it looks great and I bet it tastes even better! I love Thai rice dishes, so I know I would love this one too!
Some of the pictures you took on your trips reminds of Ghana because some the street food are served in similar fashion. I’ve had pineapple flavored fried rice and I loved but I think yours looks more authentic. Thanks for sharing!
I always love ordering pineapple fried rice when we got out for Thai food, so I’m really excited to be able to make it at home!
What an amazing adventure. The food in this part of the world looks incredible and I hope to go one day too. Love your pineapple fried rice too. The perfect combo of authentic flavors.
Yum I love Thai food! I love all your photos and the recipe looks amazing!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful photographs! I love the presentation of the pineapple rice, and I especially love that it is so quick and easy to prepare! Cashews in anything are my favourite, and then with the tanginess of the pineapple, it will be delicious!
Wow, dear Abigail, I don’t know what to begin with. Amazing looking dish, love the prez and the colours as well as all the flavours. Really need to make this ASAP.
Congratulations on your book, you have a beautiful family!
All these pictures from Vietnam and the food really makes me want to be there right now. What an amazing post, thoroughly enjoyed looking at all these pictures and reading about the experience.
Wow I love the story behind this pineapple fried rice! This recipe and your cookbook are a true winner! Thanks for sharing!
So good! My husband & I have made this recipe multiple times. It’s as good as our favorite restaurant! Thank you!
Author
Yay! So glad to know that. This is what I make when I do cooking demos as it’s always well-loved. Thanks for letting us know.