Pineapple Fried Rice

The other day I made some Pad Thai with tofu. I liked the tofu so much that I decided that I should come up with another recipe that involves the tofu prepared in exactly the same way. After a bit of deliberation, I decided that Pineapple Fried Rice would just fit the bill. Obviously, there are endless combinations to create good Pineapple Fried Rice that reflect the various preferences of people around the world. I decided to include some raisins here - in part because I love the simple burst of flavor that raisins can provide, but also because I thought that rice and raisins go well together. Admittedly, this dish has a bit more color to really qualify as beige - but I’ve always aimed at dishes that are mostly beige, allowing me a bit more freedom. I really like this dish but find that it’s even better the next day. There’s nothing in here that should be offensive to your picky eater. However, there’s a distinct yet subtle curry flavor - and only you can tell if your picky eater would be open to it. So, here we are:

Ingredients:

1 package of firm tofu

4 Tbs. cornstarch

Oil for frying

½ lb. wild rice

3-inch piece of ginger, roughly the thickness of a thumb, finely chopped

4 garlic gloves, minced

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 red chili, halved, seeded, and minced

2 small carrots, coarsely shredded

½ lb. fresh pineapple, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 1 egg

¼ cup veggie stock

5 oz. peas (frozen or fresh, if available) 2 oz. raisins

4 Tbs. light soy sauce 2 Tbs. curry powder 1 tsp. Siracha (or Sambal Olek, if you prefer)

5 Tbs. Thai basil, chopped

½ cup cashews (salted and roasted) salt

Let’s get started: Heat four cups of salted water in a pot. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and reduce the heat to a slight simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.

Put the raisins in a small bowl and pour some hot water over them so that they are covered. Set aside while the raisins steep. Cut the tofu into ¾ inch cubes and put them into a bowl.

Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu and toss until all cubes are covered.

In a large pan (large enough to hold ALL the ingredients - I prefer to use a non-stick pan for this process), heat 4 Tbs. of the peanut oil to medium high.

Shake off excess cornstarch and add the tofu to the pan. Fry until the tofu is a nice golden hue on all sides. Remove the tofu from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside for now.

Clean out the pan, you’ll need it again.

Add 3 Tbs. oil to your pan and heat up over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, onions, and chili. Stir immediately and keep stirring for about two minutes to avoid the garlic and onion getting burned. Crack the egg into the pan and keep stirring. As soon as the egg starts to settle, add the veggie stock, the carrots, peas, and pineapple. Stir for two minutes. Now add the drained rice and the tofu. Drain the raisins and add them, too. Stir. Now add the soy sauce and curry powder. Stir and let the whole she-bang heat through for about four minutes while you keep stirring. Add the cashews and Thai basil. Stir for another minute. Season to taste with salt.