C
Contrarian
Pineapple Pachadi (look at the picture and drool!) 
This is a great accompaniment to a spicy dish or can be eaten on its own with white Basmati rice. I find it doesn't taste as good with brown rice. I got this from an Indian friend of mine. I like the way the sourness mixes with the sweetness.
Pachadi is a typical Kerala dish that features in all grand feasts. It can be made with any vegetable, but the one made with Pineapples, stand apart. The sweetness, the sourness and the spicy-ness, all in balance.
This is an easy version to making Pineapple Pachadi using canned, cubed pineapples and doing away with the cutting and chopping of fresh ones. Jaggery is a concentrated product of date, cane juice, or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color. Basically it's made of palm sugar and dates as opposed to sugarcane. You should find it easily enough in any Chinese or Indian provision store.
INGREDIENTS:
Canned Pineapple (Cubed) – 1 tin of drained weight 300 grams
Turmeric powder – ¾ teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder – ½ teaspoon
Grated Jaggery – ½ tablespoon
Beaten Plain Yoghurt – ½ to ¾ cup (according to the sour-ness of the yoghurt, if it is less sour: add ¾ cup)
Grated Coconut – ½ cup
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Green Chillies – 2
FOR THE TEMPERING:
Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon
Whole Dried Red Chillies – 3- 4
Curry Leaves – I sprig, separated
Oil – 1 tablespoon
METHOD:
Drain the pineapple pieces from the syrup and cut them further into thin pieces, roughly. Put them into a pan along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and 1 cup of water. Put them on medium flame and cook, covered, till the pineapple is almost done. Halfway through the cooking, add jaggery to it. Cook till the water is totally evaporated. With a potato masher, mash the pineapple pieces slightly, keeping some of them whole. Keep aside.
Grind the grated coconut, mustard seeds and the green chillies into a very fine paste. Add this to the cooked pineapple and mix well. Add yoghurt to it and mix well. Check salt.
For the tempering, heat oil in a pan. Crackle the mustard seeds and add dried red chillies and curry leaves and immediately pour in to the pineapple mix. Stir and mix well. Serve with rice.
This is a great accompaniment to a spicy dish or can be eaten on its own with white Basmati rice. I find it doesn't taste as good with brown rice. I got this from an Indian friend of mine. I like the way the sourness mixes with the sweetness.
Pachadi is a typical Kerala dish that features in all grand feasts. It can be made with any vegetable, but the one made with Pineapples, stand apart. The sweetness, the sourness and the spicy-ness, all in balance.
This is an easy version to making Pineapple Pachadi using canned, cubed pineapples and doing away with the cutting and chopping of fresh ones. Jaggery is a concentrated product of date, cane juice, or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color. Basically it's made of palm sugar and dates as opposed to sugarcane. You should find it easily enough in any Chinese or Indian provision store.
INGREDIENTS:
Canned Pineapple (Cubed) – 1 tin of drained weight 300 grams
Turmeric powder – ¾ teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder – ½ teaspoon
Grated Jaggery – ½ tablespoon
Beaten Plain Yoghurt – ½ to ¾ cup (according to the sour-ness of the yoghurt, if it is less sour: add ¾ cup)
Grated Coconut – ½ cup
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Green Chillies – 2
FOR THE TEMPERING:
Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon
Whole Dried Red Chillies – 3- 4
Curry Leaves – I sprig, separated
Oil – 1 tablespoon
METHOD:
Drain the pineapple pieces from the syrup and cut them further into thin pieces, roughly. Put them into a pan along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and 1 cup of water. Put them on medium flame and cook, covered, till the pineapple is almost done. Halfway through the cooking, add jaggery to it. Cook till the water is totally evaporated. With a potato masher, mash the pineapple pieces slightly, keeping some of them whole. Keep aside.
Grind the grated coconut, mustard seeds and the green chillies into a very fine paste. Add this to the cooked pineapple and mix well. Add yoghurt to it and mix well. Check salt.
For the tempering, heat oil in a pan. Crackle the mustard seeds and add dried red chillies and curry leaves and immediately pour in to the pineapple mix. Stir and mix well. Serve with rice.
