Pineapple Fried Rice

[soleta]

Curries of the World
Mridula Baljekar

When buying a pineapple, look for a sweet-smelling fruit with an even brownish/yellow skin. To test for ripeness, tap the base - a dull sound indicates that the fruit is ripe. The flesh should also give slightly when pressed.

serves 4-6

1 pineapple
30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 fresh green chillies, seeded and chipped
225g/8oz lean pork, cut into strips
115g/4oz cooked, peeled prawns (shrimp)
675-900g/1½-2lb/3-4cups plain boiled rice, cooked and completely cold
50g/2oz/⅓ cup roasted cashew nuts
2 spring onions (scallions), chopped
30ml/2 tbsp fish sauce
15ml/1 tbsp soy sauce
2 fresh red chilies, sliced, and 10-12 fresh mint leaves (optional), to garnish

1 Using a sharp knife, cut the pineapple into quarters. Remove the flesh from both halves by cutting around inside the skin. Reserve the pineapple skin shells for serving the rice.
2 Slice the pineapple flesh and chop it into small even-size cubes. You will need about 115g/4oz of pineapple in total. Any remaining fruit can be reserved for use in a dessert.
3 Heat the oil in a wok or large pain. Add the onion and chilles and fry for about 3-5 minutes until softened. Add the strips of pork and cook until they have browned on all sides.
4 Stir in the prawns and rice and toss well together. Continue to stir-fry until the rice is thoroughly heated.
5 Add the chipped pineapple, cashew nuts and spring onions. Season to taste with fish sauce and soy sauce.
6 Spoon into the pineapple skin shells. Garnish with sliced red chilies, and with shredded mint leaves, if you like.