One of our favorite cuisines, but one that we don’t often cook at home, is Malaysian food. After actually being in Malaysia and eating TONS of freshly fried mee goreng (fried noodles in a delicious sauce), curry, nasi goreng (fried rice), laksa (noodles in [...]]]>

One of our favorite cuisines, but one that we don’t often cook at home, is Malaysian food. After actually being in Malaysia and eating TONS of freshly fried mee goreng (fried noodles in a delicious sauce), curry, nasi goreng (fried rice), laksa (noodles in a spicy coconut-seafood soup), most of these served from little carts on the street, it’s just hard to recreate those flavors at home in a satisfying way.

One of my favorite restaurants in Toronto is Restoran Malaysia in Richmond Hill, at the corner of Major Mackenzie and Bayview.  A few good Singaporean friends of mine swear that their Hainanese Steamed Chicken is just like how Mama made it, and their pineapple fried rice is also really good.

Fortunately, pineapple fried rice is an easy dish and even without the street cart, possible to recreate at home. Serve it in a hollowed-out half pineapple, and you’ve got a stunning presentation that would look at home in a restaurant. And like all fried rice dishes, you can vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand.

I took a suggestion from Rasa Malaysia, and instead of using a heavy hand with soy sauce, I flavored the rice mostly with a bit of Thai fish sauce. Thai fish sauce is a salty, savory sauce that doesn’t taste fishy at all – it just adds savoriness, or umami – think anchovies in Italian cooking. And don’t mistake it for the Vietnamese version, which is delicious too, but nowhere near as salty.

Fried rice is best with leftover rice that has been refrigerated at least overnight – the rice has a firmer texture and less moisture, so it won’t make the final dish soggy.

Pineapple Fried Rice

½ large pineapple, hollowed out and flesh cubed
½ pound fresh or frozen shrimp, shelled
200g pork, thinly sliced
¼ cup diced carrot
½ onion, diced
1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked leftover rice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 egg

In a wok, heat a little oil and fry the pork and shrimp until cooked through (shrimp should be opaque). Remove to a dish and set aside.

Stir-fry the carrot and onion in the wok until carrot is softened and onion is translucent. Add a little more cooking oil. Add the pineapple, rice, red chili pepper, cooked pork and shrimp. Toss together until thoroughly mixed and rice is heated through. Make a space in the center of the wok and crack in the egg. Use your spatula to scramble the egg right there in the center of the fried rice until gently cooked. Mix into the rest of the rice.

Add the fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and toss thoroughly. Taste for seasonings, and add salt if desired. Serve in the hollowed out pineapple half. Garnish with chopped roasted cashews and more red chili pepper if you like.

Bulgur wheat is an easy substitute for rice or couscous in many dishes, and it’s really easy to cook. Just simmer it in some water for about 15 minutes, and then leave it while it absorbs the rest of the water. Bulgur wheat is [...]]]>

Bulgur wheat is an easy substitute for rice or couscous in many dishes, and it’s really easy to cook. Just simmer it in some water for about 15 minutes, and then leave it while it absorbs the rest of the water. Bulgur wheat is a whole grain that has been parboiled, dried, and the bran partially removed.  It’s higher in fiber and vitamins than white rice or couscous, so I guess it’s pretty good for you too.

Last night I simmered some bulgur wheat in vegetable broth, added some seasonings, then sautéed a yellow and red pepper, some mushrooms and an onion, and mixed them all together for a satisfying, though still quite light, dinner. We had it with some baked chicken nuggets as well, but I could very well have gone without the chicken.

Bulgur Wheat with Sautéed Vegetables

1 heaping cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
6 medium mushrooms of your choice, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp granulated garlic
½ tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Simmer the bulgur in the broth, uncovered, for about 15 min, mixing occasionally. Add granulated garlic and basil and stir thoroughly, then set aside so bulgur can absorb any remaining liquid.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until onions are softened and starting to turn translucent. Add bell peppers and continue to cook until peppers are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the bulgur wheat to the pan with the vegetables and toss to combine, breaking up any lumps. Drizzle with remaining olive oil (or alternatively, stir in some butter). Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately while hot.