Thai Pineapple Rice Pilaf with Cashews
Fluffy day-old jasmine rice is wok-fried with curry powder, sweet pineapple, plump raisins and toasted cashews for a fragrant, golden pilaf with a savory-sweet balance and a bright squeeze of lime.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 5 min
- Makes
- About 6 cups (4 main-course servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Cook the rice at least 1 hour ahead (ideally the day before) and chill it. Cold, dry rice fries into separate grains; warm rice turns mushy.
- Cut all the ingredients and mix the sauce before you turn on the heat. Wok cooking moves fast.
- Use fresh pineapple if you can. If using canned, buy chunks in juice, drain very well and pat dry.
- Use a 14-inch (35 cm) wok or a large 12-inch (30 cm) skillet so the rice has room to fry rather than steam.
Cook the rice
- Put the rinsed, drained jasmine rice and the water in a 3-quart (3 L) saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to low, cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and the grains are tender with small steam holes on the surface
Tip: Do not stir or peek while it cooks, which makes the rice sticky.
Cool and chill rice
- Fluff the rice with a fork and spread it in a thin layer on a large rimmed tray.
- Let it steam off for 10 minutes, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 50 more minutes (or cover and chill overnight).
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Ready when: Rice is cold and the grains feel dry and firm, not tacky
Tip: Break up any clumps with your fingers before frying.
Prep and mix sauce
- Slice the shallots, mince the garlic, chunk and blot the pineapple, slice the scallions (whites and greens separate), beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, chop the cilantro and cut the lime into 4 wedges.
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper until the sugar dissolves.
- Set everything within arm's reach of the stove.
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Ready when: Everything is chopped, measured and lined up next to the stove
Tip: Pat the pineapple dry; excess juice makes the rice soggy.
Toast the cashews
- Heat the dry wok over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the cashews and toss constantly for about 3 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate.
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Ready when: Cashews are deep golden in spots and smell nutty
Tip: Nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds, so remove them as soon as they smell toasty.
Soften the aromatics
- Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the oil.
- When it shimmers, add the shallots and the scallion whites.
- Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Shallots are soft and translucent with golden edges; garlic smells fragrant but is not brown
Tip: If the garlic darkens quickly, lift the wok off the heat for a few seconds.
Bloom curry, add fruit
- Sprinkle the curry powder into the wok and stir for 20 seconds to bloom it in the oil.
- Add the pineapple and raisins and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Pineapple is hot, lightly browned at the edges and coated in yellow, and the raisins look plump
Tip: Add a splash of water if the curry powder sticks to the wok.
Scramble the eggs
- Push the contents to one side of the wok.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the cleared space and let them set for 15 seconds, then scramble with the spatula into small curds, about 1 minute.
- Mix them into the pineapple.
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Ready when: Eggs are fully set with no liquid left and reach 160°F (71°C)
Fry the rice
- Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps.
- Stir-fry, pressing and tossing, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the rice and toss for 1 minute more.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot throughout, evenly golden-yellow, and the grains are separate and bouncy
Tip: Spread the rice up the sides of the wok for a few seconds at a time to get a little toasty char.
Finish and season
- Turn off the heat.
- Fold in the toasted cashews and half of the scallion greens.
- Taste and add a splash of fish sauce for salt or a pinch of sugar for sweetness if needed.
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Ready when: Flavor is balanced between salty, sweet and fragrant curry
Tip: Add cashews off the heat so they stay crunchy.
Serve
- Spoon the pilaf into a large serving bowl, or serve it in hollowed pineapple halves if you like.
- Top with the remaining scallion greens and the cilantro, and serve at once with lime wedges for squeezing over.
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Tip: Squeeze the lime just before eating so the flavor stays bright.
Good to know
Tips
- Cold, dry rice is the key to separate grains; fresh rice will clump and turn gummy.
- Don't crowd the wok. For a double batch, fry in two rounds.
- Blot the pineapple dry and cook over high heat so it caramelizes instead of releasing steam.
- Add a pinch of turmeric with the curry powder for a more vivid yellow color.
Make ahead
Cook and chill the rice up to 2 days ahead, covered in the fridge. Toast the cashews up to 2 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature. Chop the pineapple, shallots and scallions up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate.
Storage & reheating
Best served right away. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 1 hour of cooking for up to 3 days (cashews will soften). Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), or microwave covered for 2 to 3 minutes.
Substitutions
- fish sauce → additional light soy sauce plus a squeeze of lime. Makes it vegetarian-friendly, though slightly less deep in flavor.
- unsalted roasted cashews → roasted peanuts or almonds. Use the same weight; toast as directed.
- raisins → golden raisins or chopped dried mango. Use the same amount.
- jasmine rice → about 4 cups (620 g) leftover cooked, chilled jasmine or long-grain rice. Skips the first two steps.