Thai Vegetable Fried Rice (with Pineapple)

Here’s a Thai vegetable fried rice recipe inspired by a restaurant favorite. It’s easily recreated at home and makes a lovely centerpiece for a meal. Pineapple adds a refreshing note to to a hearty, vegetable-filled rice dish. It’s easy  to accomplish and makes an everyday meal seem like a special occasion.

I love this kind of cuisine so much that I’ve long attempted my own homemade versions of favorite dishes, like this one. If restaurant renditions are less than faithful variations of dishes served in their native lands, then mine are certainly mere interpretations.

What I like best about them, especially stir-fries, is their inherent veg-friendliness. I mean, what’s a stir-fry if not an amalgam of colorful vegetables?

What to serve with Thai Vegetable Fried Rice: Keep the accompaniments simple by serving with a platter of sliced baked tofu, cucumbers, tomatoes, and baby carrots. 

Adapted from Plant Power by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky. 

Explore more …

• Vegan rice recipes from around the world
• Teriyaki Stir-Fried Rice and Tofu
• Gingery Bok Choy Fried Rice
• Vegan Hotdog Fried Rice (Chicago-Style)
• Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

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Yield: 4 to 6

Stir-Fried Pineapple Coconut Rice 

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This Pineapple Coconut Rice recipe is inspired by a Thai restaurant favorite. It’s easily recreated at home and makes a lovely centerpiece for a meal. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (try brown Basmati)
• 1 cup light coconut milk (about half of a 15-ounce can)
• 1 tablespoon safflower or other high-heat oil
• 1 large onion, preferably red, chopped
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups fresh pineapple cut into 3/4-inch chunks, 
or one 16- to 20-ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks
, drained (reserve the liquid for another purpose)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh or jarred ginger, or more, to taste
• Salt and dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
• Crushed peanuts or cashews for topping, optional

Instructions

1. Combine the rice with 4 cups water and coconut milk in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or wide skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.
3. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots. Turn the heat up and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender-crisp.
4. Add the tomatoes and pineapple chunks and continue to stir-fry for just a minute or two, just until the tomatoes soften slightly.
5. Stir in the cooked rice, curry powder, and ginger. Stir gently until all the ingredients are completely combined. Since only about half of the can of coconut milk was used, if you’d like this to be a bit moister, add 1/4 cup or so more, but take care not to make this soupy.
6. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Serve at once, passing around chopped cashews to top individual servings, if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 12gSugar: 128gProtein: 6g

Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used. This is given for informational purposes only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

See more tasty, plant-rich stir-fries.