A for Ananasache Sambhare (Pineapple curry)

Pineapple and curry are probably not words that you would use in the same sentence. Chances are you may have not come across this dish before. Stay with me while I give you a quick background on this exotic sounding but really quick and simple curry.

No Pathare Prabhu wedding feast is complete without this sweet and spicy curry. My favourite part of attending a PP wedding was the food (no surprise there!), served in ‘pangats’ (a pangat refers to sitting in rows to eat as a community). You sat at long tables waiting to be served piping hot, freshly prepared, delicious food. The trick at these wedding feasts was to eat what you liked first. Why? Because a queue of servers moved at the speed of an assembly line, refilling plates with items that had been consumed. If you wanted more of what you liked, that’s what you did.

Simple? Not really. Consider the menu -two kinds of rice, lentils, vegetables, fried papads and vegetable fritters, puris and sagoo (sago cooked in milk) and of course, my favourite – ananasache sambhare. No points for guessing how I got through a few helpings of it.

Back to the recipe – it’s simple, ready in under 30 minutes. In my books, that’s great for weeknights and perfect with some steamed white rice.

Ananasache Sambhare

Ingredients:

200 grams pineapple (chopped into bite sized pieces)

1 small onion, very finely chopped

1/2 a green chilli (approx. 2″), chopped into 2-3 pieces

1 tablespoon gramflour (besan)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

a pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

200 ml thick coconut milk

2 tablespoons oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a cooking pan. Add asafoetida, chilli and the chopped onion. Sauté until onion is softened. Add pineapple pieces and cook till tender.

2. Dissolve the gramflour (besan) in a tablespoon of coconut milk and ensure that there are no lumps. Add this to the rest of the coconut milk, along with the turmeric. Mix well.

3. Add this coconut milk mixture to the pan, stirring continuously for about 4-5 minutes to prevent any lumps from forming and to prevent the coconut milk from separating or curdling.

4. Lower the heat, add salt and sugar. Simmer the curry for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve hot.