Pineapple Pachadi

Pachadi is another traditional Kerala dish made using a fruit or vegetable by grinding together coconut and mustard seeds and finally simmering everything in curd. In some regions of Kerala, they don’t grind mustard seeds for Pachadi. Instead they season the dish with mustard seeds. Whereas, if mustard seeds are used only for seasoning, we call it Kichadi. Pachadi is part of almost every Onam Sadhya.

The most common Pachadis are:

• Pineapple Pachadi
• Pineapple Munthiri Pachadi (Pineapple and Grapes)
• Beetroot Pachadi
• Tomato Pachadi
• Vellarikka (Cucumber) Pachadi
• Nendhra Pazham (Plantain) Pachadi

Pineapple Pachidi is a must for Onam at many places in Kerala. It is also known as Mathura Curry. Here is my recipe for Pineapple Pachadi which I made for Onam 2009. Most of my friends liked this dish since it was sweet and slightly sour at the same time.

I am sending this recipe over to “WYF: Festive Treat” event. This Onam dish is apt for the Festive event.

Ingredients

1. Ripe Pineapple (finely chopped) – 1 medium sized Pineapple
2. Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
3. Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Curd/Yogurt – 1/2 cup
5. Mustard – 1/2 to 1 tsp
6. Salt – to taste
7. Sugar – to taste (optional)
8. Water – as needed

For grinding

1. Grated Coconut – 1 cup
2. Green Chillies – 4 small ones
3. Cumin (Jeera) – 1/4 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
5. Shallots – 1 or 2 (optional)
6. Finely chopped Ginger pieces – 1 tsp

For Seasoning

1. Oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
3. Dry Red Chillies – 4
4. Curry Leaves – A sprig

Preparation Method

1. Remove the skin from the pineapple and its pines thoroughly. Dice the yellow pineapple flesh into small pieces.
2. Cook the pineapple in little water along with salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder until soft.
3. Meanwhile, grind coconut and the other ingredients to form a nice paste and keep aside.
4. Grind 1/4 tsp mustard seeds using a mortar and pestle or you can add it to the coconut while grinding. (Be careful with the amount of mustard seeds you grind. If you grind a large quantity, the dish will be ruined.)
5. Blend yogurt with little water and salt and keep aside.
6. Once the pineapples are cooked, add the ground coconut paste and ground mustard seeds.
7. Continue cooking on medium flame for another 8-10 minutes till it becomes thick.
8. Reduce heat and add the yogurt. Mix everything and heat for a few minutes. Add sugar if you want more sweetness. Remove from stove top.
9. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and saute dry red chillies and curry leaves for a few minutes.
10. Pour seasoning over the Pineapple Pachadi.

Note

1. You can add 1-2 tsp of sugar to you pachadi to make it sweet. I had to add 1 tsp sugar since the pineapple was not very sweet.
2. You can adjust the consistency of your Pachadi by increasing or decreasing the water content in the coconut paste or blended yogurt.