Pineapple Thogayal| South Indian Pineapple Chutney

Did you know that pineapple can be used to make a beautiful chutney? I didn’t, until very recently.

The husband and I are big-time pineapple lovers. We love eating pineapple as is or on pizza, in ice cream or juice, in gotsu or salad, in kebabs or rasam, in just about everything! When I discovered that I could use pineapple in chutney too, I was overjoyed. Quite predictably, the pineapple chutney was a huge hit at home, too.

I used the recipe here to make the pineapple chutney, which is apparently from a cookery show on Jaya TV. I followed the original recipe to the T. The end result – a South Indian Pineapple Thogayal – tasted just gorgeous. This chutney is just perfect with idlis, dosas and pesarettu.

Here is how I made the pineapple thogayal.

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup):

1. 1-1/2 cup chopped pineapple, cores and thorns removed
2. 1 teaspoon oil
3. 1 teaspoon mustard
4. 1-1/2 tablespoons chana daal
5. 1-1/2 tablespoons urad daal
6. 4 dry red chillies, or to taste
7. A 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
8. Salt, to taste
9. 1-1/2 tablespoons jaggery, or to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Reduce flame to medium, and add in the mustard. Allow to pop. Now, add in the chana daal, urad daal and dry red chillies. Fry on medium flame till the daal turns light brown and begins to emit a nice fragrance. Stir constantly. Add in the chopped ginger and fry for a minute. Ensure that the ingredients do not get burnt. Transfer the fried ingredients to a plate and allow to cool down completely.

2. In the same pan, add the chopped pineapple. Keep the flame switched off. Saute the pineapple lightly. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool down entirely.

3. Take the pineapple pieces in a mixer jar when cool. Add in salt to taste and jaggery. Pulse for 2 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the mixer, mix the contents of the mixer with a spoon. Pulse again for 2 seconds.

4. Now, add the fried mustard, chana daal, dry red chillies and urad daal to the mixer. Mix the contents with a spoon. Grind till you get a coarse chutney.

5. When the pineapple thogayal has completely cooled down after the grinding, transfer to a clean, dry, air-tight container.

Notes:

1. Use ripe pineapple that is a mix of sweet and sour, for best results. If the pineapple is too sweet, you might want to skip the jaggery altogether.

2. Store the pineapple thogayal refrigerated when not in use. It stays well for 3-4 days.

3. Use only a clean, dry spoon to remove the pineapple thogayal.

4. I prefer grinding the pineapple lightly first, then adding the roasted daals and dry red chillies. This will ensure that the pineapple is ground well, and the daals and dry red chillies are coarsely ground.

I urge you to try out this lovely chutney, especially if you are a fan of pineapples like us. I’m sure you will fall in love with it, too!