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My Food Story is a collection of stories and recipes that celebrate India’s traditional plant-based ingredients sourced from local biodiversity. You can see these recipes on our interactive dashboard (https://www.cseindia.org/page/myfoodstory).
Join us as we showcase the recipes shared with us by the participants of a recently concluded recipe contest.
When I visited a Krishna temple in Karnataka, I tasted a curry that was truly unforgettable. It was sweet, tangy, and spicy at the same time, making me happy and calm with every bite. For days, I kept thinking about it. Finally, I went back to the temple and asked people how it was made. I found out it was a traditional South Indian recipe, passed down for generations.
I wanted my family and friends to try it too. But being Marwaris, the idea of pineapple in a curry didn’t sound good to them it reminded them of the “pineapple on pizza” debate. So, I changed the way I served it and made it look like a modern appetiser. To my joy, they loved it. Not only did they enjoy the taste, but they also felt the same calm and happiness that I had experienced in the temple.
Ananas Menaskai
Pineapple preparation:
Pineapple rounds with centre removed
4 cups water with 2tbsp sugar and 1.5tsp salt and 2-3 broken green chillies
Salt, turmeric and chilli powder for marination
Coconut oil for grilling
Curry:
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup White sesame seeds
1/2 cup white split urad dal
1/6 cup Fenugreek seeds (methi)
1tbsp coconut oil
1 inch ginger
10-15 Curry leaves
1/2tsp turmeric (haldi)
Salt
2 broken green chillies
1/2 cup jaggery powder
3 cups water
For Tempering (Tadka)
1tbsp coconut oil
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
2 Dry red chilies
10-15 Curry leaves
1/4tsp asafoetida (heeng)
First, boil pineapple roundels in flavoured water until they turn slightly tender. Marinate them and keep in the fridge while you prepare the curry. Heat oil in a pan and roast sesame seeds, urad dal, methi seeds, ginger, and curry leaves. Grind this into a fine paste with coconut. Transfer the paste into a pan, add water, salt, turmeric, chillies, and jaggery powder, and cook until the curry turns slightly thick. Prepare a tempering and add it to the curry, then strain the mixture for a smooth finish. Meanwhile, roast the marinated pineapple until golden brown. To serve, place the roasted pineapple in the centre of a plate, pour the curry around it, and garnish with a curry leaf sprig.
Supriya Bajaj is a homemaker from West Bengal