Pachadi

Ingredients

• 1 cup pineapple or beetroot cubed
• 1 cup thick yogurt
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• Mustard seeds
• Coconut oil
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Sugar

Method

1. Choose base: Select 2 cups pineapple, mango, beetroot or cucumber. Dice into small pieces.
2. Cook the fruit: Cook diced fruit with half cup water, a pinch of turmeric and salt on medium heat 5-6 minutes until just softened.
3. Make coconut paste: Blend half cup fresh grated coconut, half tsp mustard seeds, 2 green chillies and a pinch of turmeric with a little water to a smooth paste.
4. Cook coconut with fruit: Add coconut paste to the cooked fruit. Cook on medium-low heat 4 minutes stirring until raw coconut smell disappears.
5. Cool the mixture: Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 minutes — never add yogurt to a hot mixture.
6. Whisk yogurt: Whisk 1 cup thick fresh yogurt until completely smooth.
7. Combine: Add whisked yogurt to the cooled fruit-coconut mixture. Stir gently to combine evenly.
8. Make tempering: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds — when they pop add 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
9. Add tempering: Pour sizzling tempering over the pachadi and fold gently.
10. Serve: Adjust salt and sweetness — pachadi should balance sweet, sour and creamy. Serve chilled or at room temperature as part of Kerala sadhya.