Onam Recipes : Pineapple Pachadi

Many Many years ago when I have just started working, we were a gang of about 15 or so new joinees in the company. All of us fresh from college with first salaries in our pockets. I remember that heady feeling of earring your first money ever. We decided to go and have lunch at an North Indian restaurant which was walking distance from office. It had the usual malai kofta, dal makhani and other stuff and along with that it had “Pineapple Raita”, it was frankly the first time I had heard of it and I decided to order one, at the end of the meal we all fought for every spoon of it and it became a regular feature in all our working team lunches. The slight sour and sweet flavour of pineapple worked very well with curd for me and with a hint of salt and chilly I could eat the whole bowl.

Many years ago, my love for Pineapple raita came back full force in a new dish for me Pineapple Pachadi, it had most elements of the Pineapple raita along with coconut and some added spice. I remember the first time I ate a sadya I was told the pachadi is not sabji and I should probably slow down on it. When I made the sadya I knew that this has to be there in the list, helps that everyone tells me it is an integral part of it.

 

Recipe : Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peeled, cored and chopped Pineapple
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup curd

To be ground in paste

• 1/3 cup fresh coconut
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

For the seasoning

• 1 tsp oil (for the most authentic one use coconut oil, I still have to make friends with coconut oil sadly)
• handful of curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method

• Heat a little water in a heavy bottom pan, add the chopped pineapple to it along with chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Cook till pineapple is tender but slightly firm
• While the pineapple is cooking, grind together coconut, cumin and mustard. Add a little water if required.
• Add the coconut paste to the pineapple and cook further for about 7-8 minutes till the raw coconut smell is gone and the pineapple fully cooked
• Add the whisked curd and turn off the heat. Mix well and keep aside
• In a small pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to it. Once they crackle, add the curry leaves and turn off the heat.
• Pour over the pineapple mix and serve with steaming hot rice and dal

Coming up tomorrow : The comforting Parippu