Serves 4

Ingredients

300g raw brown rice, cooked, cooled and refrigerated
3 Tbsp cold-pressed peanut oil, divided, as needed
¼ cup raw cashew nuts
250g shrimp, shelled and deveined (or sliced chicken or firm tofu)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or green chilli, finely sliced
2 tsp shrimp paste or miso
1/2 small red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 medium carrot, julienned
2 eggs
3 Tbsp fish sauce, or light soy sauce for a vegetarian version
2 tsp Thai curry powder or regular curry powder
250g fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped spring onions
Fresh coriander, to garnish, optional

METHOD

Preheat a wok until hot, add a little oil and cashews and toast over medium-low heat until lightly golden. Remove and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil to the wok and stir-fry shrimps for a couple of minutes, until just cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add a Tbsp of oil, shallots, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add red pepper and carrot and stir-fry briefly, keeping the vegetables slightly crisp. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok. Add a light drizzle of oil to the empty side, and crack in the eggs and scramble until just set. Add the cold brown rice and toss everything together over high heat, breaking up any clumps as you go. Add fish sauce and curry powder and toss well until the rice is evenly seasoned and heated through. Add pineapple and dried cranberries and toss briefly to warm through. Add cooked shrimp, spring onions and toasted cashews. Toss everything together and serve immediately, garnished with fresh coriander if desired.

Optional Pineapple Bowl
For a beautiful center piece, cut a whole pineapple in half lengthwise. Score the flesh into cubes and carefully scoop it out, keeping the shell intact. Use the fresh pineapple in the fried rice, then spoon the finished rice back into the pineapple shell to serve.