Thai Fried Rice with Tofu and Pineapple Recipe
Colourful fried rice with tofu, pineapple and vegetables is a vegetarian version of a Thai classic. In Thailand, dishes like this are often made with yesterday’s rice – nothing goes to waste, and the result is better than many “fresh” lunches.
Fried rice is a staple of Thai street food, often made with day‑old rice and whatever bits and pieces are left in the fridge. The pineapple is a distinctively Thai touch that balances the saltiness of the sauces with natural sweetness.
This dish showcases the Thai approach to leftovers: yesterday’s rice turns into a complete, colorful meal. Sweet pineapple, turmeric, and salty sauces create that addictive sweet-salty profile that keeps you going spoonful after spoonful. Thanks to the tofu and vegetables it’s filling yet still feels light.
Why this version works
- Day‑old rice is drier, so after stir‑frying it stays fluffy and pleasantly chewy.
- Browning the tofu separately until golden gives a textural contrast to the soft rice and juicy pineapple.
- Turmeric tints the dish a golden color and enhances the pineapple’s sweetness without overpowering the flavor.
Chef's tips
The biggest enemy of this dish is moisture: wet tofu won’t brown, and warm rice will turn everything into one solid lump. Once you add the rice, give it a moment on the pan without touching it so it can develop lightly toasted spots instead of stirring non‑stop. If you’re using canned pineapple, drain it well and even pat it dry so it doesn’t thin out the sauce or cool down the pan too much.
How to serve
Serve the rice straight from the pan with a big handful of fresh cilantro or scallions and a wedge of lime for squeezing to cut through the pineapple’s sweetness. It’s perfect as a quick after‑work dinner or a lunchbox meal; before packing, toss in a few fresh slices of cucumber or radish for extra crunch.
Watch out for
- Don’t add too much sauce at once, or the rice will quickly turn wet and clump together.
- Rice that’s too fresh and warm will stick together – cool it thoroughly, ideally for a few hours in the fridge.
- If the tofu is wet it won’t brown, it will just steam – drying it well is the key to crispy cubes.
Substitutions
- You can replace plain tofu with smoked tofu; in that case skip some of the soy sauce, as it’s saltier.
- Canned pineapple can be swapped for fresh pineapple cut into similarly sized cubes.
- Vegetarian oyster sauce can be replaced with dark soy sauce or hoisin sauce.
- Jasmine rice can be swapped for long‑grain basmati or regular white day‑old rice.
Ingredients
- rice jaśminowy ugotowany - 400 g
- plain tofu - 250 g
- canned pineapple - 150 g
- carrot - 1 piece
- frozen green peas - 80 g
- onion - 0.5 pieces
- garlic - 2 cloves
- soy sauce sojowy - 2.5 tablespoons
- vegetarian oyster sauce ostrygowy wegetariański lub dodatkowy sos sojowy - 1 tablespoon
- ground turmeric - 0.5 teaspoons
- oil roślinny - 3 tablespoons
- chives or spring onion - 2 tablespoons
- black pepper czarny mielony - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Pat the tofu very dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps it brown better.
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry for 6–7 minutes, turning gently, until the cubes are golden on several sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the remaining oil. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and carrot and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring.
- Add the frozen peas and pineapple and fry for another 2 minutes until the peas are thawed and the pineapple is lightly browned on the edges.
- Sprinkle in the turmeric and stir so the vegetables are coated in the spice.
- Add the cooked, chilled rice. Break up any clumps with a spoon or spatula and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the rice is heated through and lightly fried.
- Pour in the soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce, add the pepper and mix well so the sauce coats the rice evenly.
- Finally, add the fried tofu, gently stir and fry for another 1–2 minutes until everything is hot.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped chives or spring onion.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I usually make this rice on Monday evening, when there’s some leftover jasmine rice from the weekend sitting in the fridge. I throw in whatever I have on hand – half a bell pepper, a few green beans – and every time it comes out a little different, but just as irresistibly moreish.
