This may be one of the best dishes I’ve ever made. So good. Allow me to point out that it is not actually “fried” in the traditional sense. No oil was harmed in the making of this recipe.
But it is prepared in a very hot skillet that transforms leftover rice into the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, hot, salty, crunchy, and delicious. It’s my adaptation of a recipe by Chef Del Sroufe, from Forks Over Knives – The Cookbook. My version includes extra rice, pineapple, and cilantro, but less garlic. This truly is a dish special enough for dinner guests, with just a few oh-so-worth-it steps.
Here’s the play-by-play. Onion, garlic, and serrano pepper are sautéed with ginger until tender. Cashews toast in the oven while a zesty brown sauce made with tamari, broth, and date syrup. The excitement builds when the sauce hits the hot skillet along with brown rice, pineapple, green peas, toasted cashews, and fresh cilantro. Ready to serve.
You’ll want to add this to your regular rotation. It’s sensational!
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
1 batch of Chinese Brown Sauce (recipe below)
1 large onion, diced
1 serrano chili or jalapeño (seeds removed), diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 cup frozen baby peas
1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted
8 cups cooked brown rice (cold, leftover rice works best)
1 fresh pineapple (skin removed and cored), diced
1 to 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Chinese Brown Sauce (below) and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the onion and chili, and dry sauté until tender, adding a little water (as needed) to keep vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add in fresh garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat, and stir in peas, just until heated through.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast raw cashews on a baking sheet for 5 to 8 minutes, or just until the moment you can smell them. Remove cashews from the oven and set aside.
While cashews are in the oven, add the rice and the pineapple to the hot vegetable pan. Mix in cilantro. Pour the Chinese Brown Sauce over the rice and veggies in the hot pan, and combine very well.
Top with cashews and and serve immediately.
Chinese Brown Sauce
3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 tablespoons date syrup (or molasses)
Combine all ingredients well.
(Adapted from Forks Over Knives – The Cookbook, by Del Sroufe)
Copyright © Vicki Brett-Gach | Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen
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