This sweet and sour pachadi will make your mouth drool and will keep you longing for seconds.
In Kerala, which is one of the southern states of the Indian subcontinent, grand feasts are called sadhya. A variety of dishes will be served in a sadhya. This is one of them.
I am a big fan of this recipe. I love eating this. After I learned to make this recipe, I make it once in a while and enjoy it with rice and pickle.
In some pineapple pachadi recipes, pineapple is cut into small pieces and then cooked and added in the curry, but I cut the pineapple into big pieces, cooked the pieces and then coarsely ground them. I feel this gives more flavor to the curry.
In this recipe, I have cooked the pineapple and coarsely ground it. I heated mustard seeds in coconut oil until they popped, added chili and curry leaves into it, added the ground pineapple into this and sautéed. Curry leaves, when added to the coconut oil, give a nice aroma and also a unique flavor. I have added some red chili powder for spiciness.
I have prepared a smooth paste of cumin, coconut, turmeric, and green chili which I added to the curry for extra creaminess and flavor.
The yogurt gives the curry a tangy flavor. After adding the yogurt do not let the curry boil. Just heat it until the yogurt gets heated and switch off the stove.
You can serve this curry with rice, rasam or sambar and other vegetable side dishes.
PINEAPPLE PACHADI RECIPE
Sweet, sour and spicy pineapple pachadi, that can be served with rice and vegetables.
PREPARATION TIME : 10 TO 15 MINUTES
COOKING TIME : 25 TO 30 MINUTES
CAN BE SERVED TO 5 TO 6 PEOPLE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small well ripened pineapple cut into medium cubes
- 3/4 cup of fresh coconut, grated (measured in a 250 ml cup)
- 2 green chilies
- 1 or 2 whole dried red chilies cut into medium pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder
- A few curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 cup of thick yogurt (measured in a 250 ml cup)
- Salt to taste
METHOD
- Peel the pineapple, cut out the hard center and cut into medium pieces.
- Cook the pineapple pieces until soft by adding just enough water.
- Cool and grind them into a coarse paste.
- Add the coconut, cumin, turmeric powder and 1 green chili (save the other one for later) into a blender and grind into a fine paste. Keep aside.
- Heat a thick bottomed pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds crackle, add the dried red chili pieces and the other green chili split.
- Fry them for 10 seconds and add the curry leaves and fry for 5 seconds.
- Add the coarsely ground pineapple and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add the red chili powder and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and mix.
- Add the coconut paste and mix well and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Add salt and mix.
- Beat the yogurt so that no lumps are present. Add into the curry and mix well. Reduce the temperature of the stove to low. Do not let it boil. Cook it until the yogurt get heated and switch off.
- Serve it with rice and vegetables.
NOTE
If you do not have fresh coconut, you can use unsweetened frozen coconut also.
Do not grind the pineapple smooth. Grind it coarsely.
After adding the yogurt do not let the curry boil. Heat it until the yogurt get heated, and switch off.
You can serve this curry warm or cold.
You can store it in the fridge in an air tight container for 3 days. When you use it, you can heat it on low heat and use. Do not boil it. Just heat it on low heat while stirring it.
I prefer coconut oil for this recipe, if you do not like coconut oil you can use other vegetable oils also.
Choose a well ripened pineapple.
STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Heat a thick bottomed pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the dried red chili pieces and a green chili split.
Fry them for 10 seconds. Add the curry leaves and fry for 5 seconds.
Add the coarsely ground pineapple and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the red chili powder,
sauté for 1 or 2 minutes.
Add the sugar and mix.
Add the coconut paste and mix.
mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add required salt and mix.
Beat the yogurt, so that no lumps are present.
Add into the curry and mix.
Reduce the temperature of the stove to low Do not let it boil. Cook it until the yogurt get heated and switch off.
Serve it warm or cold.
