Pineapple Pachadi {Pineapple In Spiced Coconut-Yogurt Curry}

Pachadi is a mildly spiced coconut and yogurt based curry made with seasonal vegetables or fruits. This pineapple pachadi is sweet, tangy and spicy, providing a delicious accompaniment to the traditional Kerala sadya (vegetarian feast).

Can you believe that it is almost September? Granted that summer school holidays seemed to stretch forever this year, but the past few weeks just flew by, and here we are! On one hand, I am excited for a new school year, but on the other hand, I am not yet ready to let go.

Right now, it is almost the end of monsoon season in India and that signals the advent of festivals, small and big. I am already planning our yearly Onam sadya, the traditional Kerala vegetarian feast. It is a simple yet lavish affair. Simple, because the major players are just a few seasonal and local vegetables; and lavish, because the number of dishes served can vary from a measly dozen to a few dozens, no kidding!

This year, I plan to make as many dishes as possible, because I don’t have to do it all by myself. Mom and Dad flew down a week ago and that should also explain my radio silence on the blog-front. We have so much planned for while they are here!

So, in preparation for Onam, I have a recipe that is a slight twist on a traditional favorite. Pachadi is a mildly spiced coconut and yogurt based curry usually made with seasonal vegetables like cucumber or beetroot. Sometimes, fruits may be used, especially ripe pineapple.

Pineapple pachadi is a super easy recipe, pure vegetarian and can be made in no time at all. In fact, we like to have pachadi in our weekly meal rotation because it is so good. It goes excellently with a simple meal of rice and dal curry. Or you can eat it as a yogurt salad, like raita.

The best thing about pachadi and most of the Onam dishes is that they usually have coconut in some form, either as ground coconut paste or a quick stir fry in coconut oil.

This pineapple pachadi has both. Freshly grated coconut is ground to a paste along with green chilies, cumin seeds and mustard seeds to form the base for the curry. This is added to the boiled pineapple pieces till the curry is creamy and thick and sour yogurt is whisked in at the end. As a final flourish, a sizzling tadka of shallots, curry leaves, mustard seeds and dried red chilies fried in fragrant coconut oil is added to the pachadi. The flavor profile is simple but truly amazing. Humble ingredients come together to make something hearty yet light, wholesome and healthy!

Pineapple pachadi has notes of sweet, sour and spicy and goes really well with rice. I eat it with soft chapatis too.

You can serve this pachadi along with rice, sambar and other sadya dishes. You can make both vegetable pachadi (see recipe here) and fruit pachadi for a savory-sweet combo. In a pinch, you can use red onions for the tadka, but try to get your hands on traditional Indian red shallots. It is my favorite element of the dish and really makes a difference.

Here is the simple pineapple pachadi recipe.

Pineapple Pachadi {Pineapple In Spiced Coconut-Yogurt Curry}

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Pachadi is a mildly spiced coconut and yogurt based curry made with seasonal vegetables or fruits. This pineapple pachadi is sweet, tangy and mildly spiced, providing a delicious accompaniment to the traditional Kerala sadya (vegetarian feast).

Author: Anjana Devasahayam

Recipe type: Side

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4-6

You will need:

To grind to a paste,

• Coconut - ½ cup, grated
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
• Green chilies - 2-3

For pineapple pachadi,

• Pineapple - 2 cups, finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - ½ cup
• Yogurt - ½ cup, whisked

For tempering (tadka),

• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 3-4
• Curry leaves - a sprig
• Whole dried red chilies - 3
• Shallots - 2 tbsp, thinly sliced

How to:

1. Grind coconut, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and green chilies to a paste with very little water. Set aside.
2. Take pineapple, turmeric powder, red chili powder, sugar, ½ tsp salt and water in a pan. Cook pineapple on medium heat till the pieces are soft.
3. Add prepared coconut paste and boil for a few minutes till coconut is cooked and the curry is fragrant and thick.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt, check seasoning and add salt to taste.
5. Heat coconut oil in a small pan. Add the rest of the tempering (tadka) ingredients and allow the mustard seeds to crackle and the shallots to brown slightly. Pour hot tadka over pachadi. Stir well and keep covered until serving time.
6. Leftover pachadi can be refrigerated. Bring pachadi to room temperature before serving. Do not boil pachadi in which yogurt has been added, to prevent curdling.

Notes:

1. Pachadi should not be boiled after yogurt is added, otherwise the curry may curdle or split. If you are confident enough, you can add yogurt while the pachadi is still on the stove, whisk vigorously and remove it promptly before it starts to boil again. Otherwise, follow the method in my recipe here. Remove the pachadi from stove-top and add yogurt after it has rested for a couple of minutes.

3.5.3226

I will also try to share more Onam sadya recipes with you soon. Meanwhile, here are a few recipes to get you started:

• Quick tiffin sambar.
• Cherupayar curry.
• Beetroot pachadi.
• Beans thoran.
• Here is a recipe for our favorite sadya dessert – the quintessential Semiya Payasam.

Don’t forget to PIN & SAVE this recipe for later.

Have you tried pineapple pachadi? What is your favorite vegetarian side recipe? Do give this pineapple curry a try and let me know how you like it.

If you like this post, please follow this blog via Email to get post updates (find subscription box on the right side of this page, or scroll down in mobile version).

Stay connected on social media, PIN and SHARE this post.

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Google+

I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday.