A simple dish made using pineapple pieces simmered in a coconut-mustard gravy and flavored with yogurt. Pineapple pachadi is one of the must-try dishes from Kerala cuisine. you will find a detailed recipe and video.
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Let’s Look At The Ingredient List
This is a pretty straightforward recipe with ingredients that are usually found in Kerala dishes.
- Pineapple
- Green Chilies
- Coconut
- Plain Yogurt
- Whole black mustard Seeds
- Turmeric Powder
- Curry Leaves
- Whole Kashmiri red chillies
- Oil
- Salt
Pineapple - I use canned pineapple to make the dish though traditionally fresh pineapple is used.
A little nerd-ing out on Pineapple :). Pineapple was brought to India by the Portuguese circa 1500. A lot of the Indian languages have their root word for the name of the fruit in "ananas" with a few exceptions. Malayalam is one such language. In Malayalam, Pineapple is called Kaithachakka, so if you are looking for the authentic name for the dish, it would be called Kaithachakka Pachadi.
Green chillies- For my Indian cooking, I use Serrano Pepper. You could also use Thai pepper or any other green peppers. I crush them using mortar & pestle to get the maximum flavor. If you prefer not to bite into green chillies, instead of crushing them slit them length-wise before adding to the dish. Adjust the quantity to suit your spice level. If you prefer a milder dish, remove the seeds and vein before adding.
Coconut - Pineapple pachadi is made with freshly grated coconut. Frozen & thawed coconut works well. You will find frozen coconut in the freezer aisle of your local Indian grocery store. Learn more about coconut
A quick tip on grinding coconut - use warm water to grind coconut especially if it was refrigerated
Plain Yogurt- Any type of plain yogurt works well in the recipe. Just make sure to whisk it well as part of your prep work before adding to the cooked pineapple. I have used about ½ cup of plain yogurt in the recipe.But if you like it creamier, you can use up to ¾ cup.
Whole black mustard seeds- These are one of the essential in an Indian pantry. We use whole black mustard seeds in two ways in the recipe - one is to grind them with coconut and the other one is in the tempering.
Turmeric powder- A little goes a long way. Add about a ¼ teaspoon to impart a bright yellow hue to the pachadi.
Curry Leaves- Curry leaves belong to the citrus family. They have a very unique aroma and slightly bitter-ish taste. For an authentic taste, use a few curry leaves. You will find them in your local Indian grocery store or may be an east Asian store near you.
Whole Kashmiri red chillies- We use red chillies to add a little bit of kick to the seasoned oil. If the chillies are big, break them into smaller pieces. I have tried this recipe with Kashmiri red chillies and Byadagi chillies.
Salt- Add salt to taste. It is difficult to gauge what is the exact amount of salt for this dish. I would recommend starting with ½ teaspoon salt and taste as you go. Check the spice levels before you add the yogurt and adjust salt and spices at that point if required.
Oil- In Kerala cuisine, with a few exceptions, the cooking oil used is coconut oil. For an authentic taste, use coconut oil in the recipe. If you are not a huge fan of coconut oil, use any other unflavored cooking oil.
Equipments/utensils needed to prepare the pachadi
- Small cooking pot
- Small tadka pan
- Chopping board and knife
- Can opener if you are using canned pineapple.
- Mixer grinder/blender/food processor - to grind coconut to a smooth paste
- Whisk
- Mortar & Pestle
- Cooking spoons
- Serving bowls and spoons
- Measuring spoons/cups/weighing scale (this is a pretty forgiving recipe and your measurements need not be very precise. These are optional if you are ok eyeballing the ingredients)
How do you make pineapple pachadi?
Full recipe + measurements + video can be found in the recipe card below.
Pineapple pachadi is really easy to make even for a novice cook.
Prep Work - Plan for additional prep time based on this
- Clean, peel, and chop pineapple (if using fresh). If using canned, open the can and drain the required pieces. Dice into medium-sized pieces.
- If using fresh coconut - grate the coconut. If using frozen coconut - thaw the coconut.
- Crush green chillies using a mortar and pestle.
- Whisk yogurt.
Cooking
- Cook pineapple pieces until they are tender.
- While pineapple pieces are cooking, grind coconut mustard seeds.
- Add the ground coconut paste to the pineapple pieces.
- Once it boils, turn off the heat. Add yogurt.
- Prepare the tempering/tadka.
- Pour the seasoned oil into the pachadi.
Serving suggestions
Typically, for Sadya, this is served as a thick side dish. At home, I make it two ways :
- Thick as a side dish
- As a gravy dish for the rice.
The difference between the two - the amount of water you use. The proportions I have given in the recipe below should give you semi gravy. If you want to serve it as a "curry" with rice, increase the amount of water ( to about a cup; adjust to your desired consistency). If you want it thicker, reduce the amount of water.
This is a dish from the Kerala Cuisine, so anything with Kerala roots is wonderful with this. I serve this with a simple stir fry (Thoran), fish fry, or chicken depending on my weekly meal plan.
- Kale Thoran - is a healthy accompaniment to rice, a simple stir fry prepared in the South Indian style.
- Green Peas & Carrot Thoran - Green Peas Carrot Thoran is a typical dish from Kerala cuisine. This quick and easy recipe comes together in about 8-10 minutes making it a flavorful dish that can be prepared on busy weeknights. Simple. Quick. Flavorful.
- Simple Chicken Roast - Simple Chicken Roast is a finger-licking Kerala style chicken curry where chicken is cooked in aromatic spices and coconut oil. The coconut pieces add a unique flavor and nice crunch to this semi-dry curry. It is a treat for your taste buds!
Leftovers?
Left overs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. This can be reheated on stovetop or microwave. The ground coconut prevents the yogurt from turning grainy when reheated.
Flavor profile 🙂
You will find this extremely flavorful - sweet & tangy notes from the pineapple, thick creamy texture from the coconut and yogurt, and heat from green chillies and red chillies. The aroma of the fresh tempering/tadka/varavu is amazing. Use coconut oil for an authentic taste.
There are many regional variations of pachadi,
- Some versions grind cumin seeds along with coconut.
- Some people add red chilli powder while cooking the pineapple
- There are versions where you grind the green chilies along with the coconut to make the paste to add to pineapple.
- And probably a combination of the above three 🙂
P.S. I do not use cumin while making pachadi. From my understanding, the name pachadi is because we grind pacha (or raw) black mustard seeds along with coconut.
Can I use fresh pineapple to make this pachadi?
YES! In fact, fresh pineapple is what is used to make it in the traditional way. I personally, do not like fresh pineapple, and hence I have adapted the traditional recipe to use canned pineapple.
If you are using fresh pineapple, the cooking time may vary - considering the time required to cook the fresh pineapple pieces until tender.
A note about the yogurt
I prefer to use plain home made yogurt in almost all of my recipes unless specified otherwise. Any kind of plain yogurt works well in the recipe. Whisk well, before you add it. This removes any lumps and makes it smooth.
Turn down the heat/set it to the lowest temperature possible before adding the yogurt.
More sadya items 🙂
- Green apple instant pickle
- Elisseri/Erissery - Pumpkin and red cowpeas in thick coconut gravy
- Koottukari - Yam, raw banana, and Bengal gram in a thick coconut gravy
- Pulissery - The traditional yogurt-based curry with a sweet and sour taste. Here I have made it with Apple as the main ingredient.
- Paal Payasam - Sweet pudding made with rice and milk
- Pradhaman - Try this creamy pumpkin pradhaman sweetened with jaggery.
Just a few more notes 🙂
- 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish)
- 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
- Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.
- Serving size – This is a side dish to rice. This should be enough quantity for 4-5 people along with rice, a Thoran (Kerala style stir fry), and gravy dish like Sambhar or as part of the sadya. Adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
- Whisk the yogurt as part of your prep work. Turn off the heat before adding yogurt to prevent it from turning grainy.
- Adjust the number of green chillies used to suit your spice level.
Pineapple Pachadi
Ingredients
- 200 grams 1 cup Pineapple pieces
- 2-3 green chillies; crushed with a mortar & pestle to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 125 ml ½ cup plain yogurt; whisked to remove lumps
Grind to a paste
- 45-50 grams ½ cup coconut
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
Tempering/Tadka
- 1 tablespoon oil; use coconut oil for authentic taste
- 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
- 1-2 Whole Kashmiri Red Chillies
- Few curry leaves
Instructions
- How to make pineapple pachadiPrep Work
- Clean and chop pineapple (if using fresh). If using canned, open the can and drain the required pieces. Dice into medium-sized pieces.
- Grate coconut if using fresh. Thaw frozen coconut otherwise.
- Crush green chillies using a mortar and pestle.
- Whisk yogurt.
- Cooking
- Add pineapple pieces, crushed green chillies, salt, and turmeric powder to a small cooking pot. Add approximately ¾ cup water. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the pineapple pieces are tender.
- While the pineapple pieces are cooking, grind the coconut & mustard seeds to a smooth paste using approximately ¼ cup water. [Note: Do not use a lot of water to grind the coconut. The ground paste should be slightly thick as shown in the video below].
- Once the pineapple pieces are cooked to your desire, add the ground paste and bring it back to a boil. Check the spice levels and adjust salt and spices at this point if required.
- Turn off the heat and add whisked plain yogurt. Mix well to combine.
- Prepare the tempering/tadka - In a small pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add whole black mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the whole red chillies and curry leaves. Remove from heat.
- Pour the seasoned oil onto the pineapple pachadi.
- Serve with rice.
Video
Notes
- 1 CUP = 250 ML. (US cups are typically 240 ml. You can use US cups with no significant change to the dish)
- 1 TEASPOON = 5ML; 1 TABLESPOON= 15 ML
- Grams to cups measurements – we strive to provide these conversions as accurately as possible. There might be some slight variations depending on the brand, weighing scale, etc.
- Serving size – This is a side dish to rice. This should be enough quantity for 4-5 people along with rice, a Thoran (Kerala style stir fry), and gravy dish like Sambhar or as part of the sadya. Adjust the serving size to suit your dietary needs.
- Whisk the yogurt as part of your prep work. Turn off the heat before adding yogurt to prevent it from turning grainy.
- Adjust the number of green chillies used to suit your spice level.
- For an authentic taste, use coconut oil in the recipe. If you are not a huge fan of coconut oil, use any other unflavored cooking oil.
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