Pineapple Kaalan

Kaalan is a traditional dish of Kerala which is prepared with mostly raw bananas and it is served in almost all Sadhyas, be it vegetarian or non vegetarian. The dish is prepared  with coconut and curd and it has a piquant taste which triggers your appetite.

This special dish is prepared with juicy sweet pineapple which adds a special taste mixed with the inherent sweetness and sourness of pineapple.

Ingredients

1

• Pineapple  finely chopped                       1  ½ cup
• Turmeric powder                                        ¼ tsp
• Green chilli                                                  2 numbers
• Water                                                         ^_2/3 cup
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

2

• Coconut grated                                           ¾    cup
• Green chilli                                                 3 numbers
• Fenugreek powder*                                     ¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder                                        ¼ tsp
• Black pepper                                                4 numbers
• Ginger                                                          1 cm sq piece
• Garlic                                                           very small piece
• Mustard seeds                                            ¼ tsp
• Cumin seeds                                                10 numbers

3

• Coconut oil                                                  3 tbsp
• Mustard seed                                              ½ tsp
• Shallots                                                        3
• Curry leaves

4

• Curd                                                              1  ½ cup
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Finely chop the pineapple. In a shallow cooking pot add  chopped pineapple, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ^_2/3 cups water. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on medium flame.

Finely grind together second ingredients and keep aside. In another pan add 3 tablespoon oil and when hot add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. When it splutters add finely diced shallots and curry leaves. Add the ground coconut when the shallots turn slight brown. Add the cooked pineapple and stir it the  water dries up. **Fold in semi whisked curd/yoghurt and keep stirring. Once it boils turn off the flame. Enjoy the dish with boiled rice.

Full preparation video can be watched in following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBWNSOzSxeA

Time for preparation: 25 minutes

Tips

Adding dry chilli along with shallots enhances the taste. Perfect dish for Onam, the festival of communal harmony celebrated in Kerala. There remain many variants to this dish with slight differences in preparation, like Pulisseri and in Tamil Nadu Morkkuzhambu.

*Fenugreek powder if finely ground can be added to pineapple while cooking.

**Pineapple Pachadi can be prepared when  this mixture is folded into cold thick curd/yoghurt. Serve with Rice.