Pineapple Pachadi is one such dish I look forward to whenever I happen to eat at a Sadhya. Pachadis can be considered a kind of pickle, though technically they are not pickles. This is coz, just like most pickles they are tangy, sweet as well as spicy. But since coconuts are used they cannot be kept for long like pickles.
In the traditional way of serving, this is served on the left side of the banana leaf, where foods consumed in a lesser quantity are placed. Other sweet pachadis can be made with mangoes, banana, or even grapes.
All of these taste so yummy that you will become habituated to reserving one fruit to make this pachadi 🙂 . You can adjust the jaggery, chillies, and tamarind as per your preference, though the best pineapple pachadi is the one that is a bit more sweet than tangy or spicy.
Start by adding 1 tsp of jaggery and increase as per need. My pineapple was mildly sweet, so I had to add 1 tbsp of jaggery.
Most people add yogurt/curd instead of tamarind. But I feel tamarind goes well with pineapple than yogurt. You can replace tamarind with 1/2 cup of yogurt too if you prefer.
In that case, cook the pineapple pieces with water. You can either grind the coconut with yogurt or add the yogurt finally. But see that you don’t boil after adding yogurt, as it splits and thins out.
When yogurt is used, the pachadi becomes more liquidy and can be had with rice just like a sambar or pulingari. So my suggestion is that, if you want it thick and spoonable, use tamarind and if you want it in a pourable consistency use yogurt. I almost always prefer the spoonable version 🙂 .
Over to the recipe…
Pineapple Pachadi
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups chopped pineapple ( 250g)
- a marble-sized tamarind (10g)
- 1 cup water
- a pinch of turmeric powder
- salt as needed
- 1 tbsp jaggery
For grinding
- ½ cup coconut lightly packed (50g)
- 2 green chilies
- ⅛ tsp mustard seeds
- water as needed
For tempering
- ⅛ tsp mustard seeds
- ⅛ tsp split urad dal
- 1 red chilly
- a few curry leaves
- 2 tsps coconut oil
Instructions
- Chop the pineapple into small pieces, grate the coconut and soak the tamarind in a cup of water for a few minutes
- Take the pineapple pieces in a saucepan/frying pan, add the squeezed tamarind water, turmeric powder and salt and cook for 7-10 minutes till it becomes tender.
- Grind the coconut with the chilies and mustard using water as needed.
- Add this ground mixture to the cooked pineapple, add jaggery and more salt as needed.
- Continue cooking for a few more minutes till most of the water evaporates and it gathers together.
- Serve with rice or any flatbreads.
Hema’s P.S
- If you do not want too much spice, reduce the chilly while grinding. you can always add chilly powder towards the end if you feel the spice level is low.
- So also with the tamarind and jaggery.
- The color of the pachadi also varies from a brownish tint when using jaggery and tamarind to yellow when yogurt is used.
You may also like
← Back to Side dishes main page
