Okinawa Pineapple Rice

Submitted by Pearl Ishizaki

"Celebrate the tropic with this colorful dish made with salad vegetables, rice, ground meat and of course pineapple. Unlike the climate in mainland Japan, Okinawa is hot year round which makes it a suitable place to grow pineapples. For this recipe, I've used local pineapple but you can also use canned pineapples."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 1⁄2 head lettuce
• 1⁄3 piece red bell pepper
• 1⁄2 piece cucumber
• 1⁄2 piece onion
• 150 g mixed ground pork and beef
• 1 piece large tomatoes
• 1 piece dried shiitake mushroom, hydrated
• 100 g pineapple
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1⁄2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1⁄2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon broad chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 300 g steamed japanese rice

directions

1. Slice the lettuce into shreds. Cut out 1/3 piece of red bell pepper then take the seeds. Slice t. For the red bell pepper into strips. For the cucumber, slice it thinly. Arrange the salad vegetables on a large plate then cover and keep in the fridge for use after the rice is cooked.
2. Mince the onion and garlic and then dice the tomatoes. Squeeze out excess water from the shiitake which has been soaked in water for about 20 minutes. Cut the hard stem part of the mushroom then mince the head part. Slice the pineapples into small bite-sized pieces.
3. In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon of curry powder, a tablespoon of tomato ketchup and half a tablespoon of soy sauce. Mix the ingredients well.
4. Heat a pan using medium heat then add the vegetable oil. Add the onions then cook until it is soft. Add the pork then saute until it is browned then add the tomatoes and shiitake. When the tomatoes are soft add the pineapple slices then stir. Add the curry powder, tomato ketchup and soy sauce mixture then stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes while occasionally mixing. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.
5. Wipe the pan using a paper towel then turn on the heat to medium. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil followed by the minced garlic. Add the doubanjiang then stir. Once the garlic starts to smell, add the steamed rice. Mix all the ingredients. When mixing the rice, do it lightly so that the rice grains will not be crushed. Remove from pan once the ingredients are well-combined.
6. Place the fried rice on top of the vegetables. Lastly, top the rice with the cooked meat then you can serve.