A new recipe, a new look

On our last trip to the grocery store, we purchased a pineapple. The original intent was to just eat it as an after dinner snack. But as the days went by, while this pineapple sat on our counter to ripen, I saw a number of posts about pineapple fried rice and I was reminded that this was one dish I’ve been wanting to make. It was as if the blogging world was giving me a sign. ;) So I listened and made pineapple fried rice.

This recipe is a combination of two different recipes, one had more veggies, while the other seemed more authentic. This recipe gave me the chance to use the jar of sambal paste that has sadly been sitting in the fridge since the last time I made sambal green beans. Although it isn’t the belachan shrimp paste called for in the recipe, it does have some belachan and it will have to do. I also took the liberty to throw in some ham I had purchased to make scones and carrots that were used in David’s curry (recipe to come…).  Isn’t fried rice all about using up leftover ingredients after all??  Toss in a bit of this (prawn, shallots, peas and peppers) and a bit of that (curry powder, chilies and fish sauce), topped off with some cilantro (mmm…love the smell of cilantro) and you’ve got one colourful, flavourful and fragrant dish.

This fried rice is a bit spicy, a bit sweet. It’s a bit tangy and a bit savoury. And then there are all the different textures: crunchiness of the toasted cashews, chewiness of the currants and softness of the rice. And let’s not forget about the sweetness and juiciness of the pineapple.  Every bite is a surprise and every bit of it is delicious.

I was quite happy with the end product, but I did have two minor criticisms. One being that the rice was a bit on the wet side. It could be that I used a combination of Korean rice and sprouted brown rice which I find holds more water than other kinds of rice. Or it could be that I used way more pineapple juice than required (1/2 cup instead of 1.5 tablespoons). A few tablespoons just didn’t seem enough for the large amount of rice I had in the pan.

My other compliant is that as on any other occasion that I try a new recipe after work, it is dark by the time I’m done cooking and there’s no natural light to take photos.  The sun just had to go down!  I think the pictures above look appetizing, but I wasn’t completely satisfied. So, naturally I did what any rational normal person would do: wake up a little earlier the next day to snap some shots before going to work.  By then the beautiful pineapple the hubby had hollowed out wasn’t so pretty anymore and the rice was ice cold from the fridge, but I got my natural light. ;)

What do you think? Do you prefer pineapple fried rice by night or pineapple fried rice by day?

And finally, for all you frequent visitors out there, you may have noticed that trials in food has undergone some changes. Specifically, I’ve changed the layout. I’ve been itching to do so for sometime now. And since you all know I get bored easily, you shouldn’t be surprised.  It’s only fitting that a new year of blogging requires a new look.  It may even look different the next time you come by. ;)

That’s all for now.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Recipe (adapted from Rasa Malaysia and Closet Cooking):

• leftover and overnight rice made from 3 cups mixed Korean rice and sprouted brown rice
• 1.5 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 small fresh pineapple (cut into small pieces)
• 2/3 cup shrimp/prawn (shelled and deveined, leave whole or cut into small pieces)
• 1 large or 2-3 small shallots (chopped)
• 1 red pepper (diced)
• 1 fresh red chili (cut into small pieces)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 3 tsp shrimp paste
• 2.5-3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 3/4 tsp dark soy sauce (for coloring)
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 1/2 cup toasted cashews
• 1/2 cup currants or raisins
• 2-2.5 tbsp oil
• cilantro for garnishing

1. Heat up a wok or high sided pan on med-high heat and add cooking oil.
2. Stir-fry garlic, red chili, shallots and shrimp paste until aromatic (couple of minutes).
3. Add carrots, peas and peppers.  Cook until a bit soft.
4. Add shrimp, egg and ham and stir-fry until prawn half-cooked.
5. Add rice (warmed up in microwave first for 1.5 minutes), pineapple pieces, pineapple juice and curry powder, and do a few quick stirs.
6. Add fish sauce and dark soy sauce and blend well with rice.
7. Add cashews and current.
8. Stir-fry for another minute or so, dish out, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

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