Ingredient Ideology | PASSION FOR PINEAPPLE BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI- CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.
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Pineapple is a popular tropical plant with an edible fruit indigenous to south America where It has been found since many centuries now. Hawaii has been a popular cultivator of pineapples for America it is also popular with Philippines which accounts nearly one third of the world’s production of pineapples. It is known to be an herbaceous perennial with short stocky stem with tough waxy leaves.
While the flesh and juice of pineapple both have been found and are known to be useful in a number of ways in our food and beverage department from being eaten to being stirred and shaken into mocktails and cocktails from a live pineapple flambe with rum and raisin sauce to the classic pineapple upside down cake, the Pina colada drink it has a number of health benefits and culinary uses.
Here are a few Health Benefits of Pineapple:
1. Pineapple is good for the bone health and also good for the teeth and gums.
2. Pineapple is beneficial for the eyes and also reduces hypertension.
3. Pineapple is a good immunity boosting fruit and must be included in our diets.
4. Pineapple is also helpful to treat sinus and common cold issues.
5. Pineapple has anti-inflammatory benefits and also aids digestion.
6. Pineapple is a good source of Vitamin –C & also helps with constipation issues as well.
7. Pineapple is helpful with gout and also promotes natural de-toxification.
8.Pineapple helps with high blood pressure and nausea too.
9. Pineapple is recommended for low calorie diets and weight loss
10.Pineapple relieves morning sickness and offers a glowing skin.
CULINARY USES OF PINEAPPLE:
1. Pineapple has been a very dear and perfect blend of sweet and sour flavor and has found its place onto a fruit salad plate since a long time now, we also use it to make health drinks, shakes, curries, subzis, smoothies and even pineapple ka jal jeera as well.
2. A popular ingredient when it comes to the canning and processing industry as well we have been seeing it in pineapple tins, pineapple juice, pineapple jams, marmalades and jellies as well.
3. Pineapple is great to go into a salsa as well to be enjoyed in various mexican recipes like with nachos, inside tacos, with enchiladas, and burritos, it’s a great filling for empanadas as well.
4. Asian cuisines have been using pineapple in a number of ways from stir fry dishes, to grills, to barbeques, pineapple also features in a live counter cooking concept too like the teppanyaki and teriyaki from Japanese cuisine.
5. Breakfast pancakes to waffles, from detox drinks to chilled sorbets, from sherbets to soufflé pineapple has many forms and textures to convert itself and be a delight on our tables and shelves.
6. Pineapple goes well into pies, puddings, tarts, cupcakes, muffins, and decorative cakes and pastries too. We usually prefer the tinned or canned varieties in bakery pastry. Caramelized pineapples as well can be used in bakery products for a better flavor and color.
Here are a few Recipes with Pineapple:
Recipe-1] HUA HA HIN FRIED RICE
Ingredients:
Fresh pineapple- 1 cup cubes
Boiled white/brown rice- 2 cups
Oil- 2 tsp
Lemon grass- 4-5 pieces
Garlic- 2 tsp sliced
Spring onions- 3-4 sliced
Ginger- 1 tsp shredded
Slit red and green chilies- 2 each
Carrots-1/4 cup small cubes
Red capsicum-1/2 no cubes
Green capsicum-1/2 no cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
White vinegar-1 tsp
Grain sugar-1/2 tsp
Schezuan sauce- 1 tbsp.
Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Boiled American corn- ½ cup
Spring onion greens- ¼ cup chopped for garnish.
Method:
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the fried rice.
2. Heat oil in a pan add in the chilies, onions, ginger, garlic and saute for 1 min.
3. Add in the veggies of your choice with capsicums, corn and give it a nice saute for 2 mins.
4. Add in the pineapple cubes, seasonings, sauces and little water and allow to cook for 2-3 mins.
5. Now add in the boiled rice and give it a nice toss, add a little soy sauce if desired, a pinch of sugar and white vinegar and serve hot garnished with spring onion greens.
Non-veg variations: try adding marinated prawns, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled chicken cubes, roast sliced meat, sliced sausages etc.
Recipe-2] CHIN - CHIN - CHU SKEWERS
Ingredients:
Fresh pineapple cubes- 2 cups
Paneer- 2 cups cubes
For the marination:
Oil/ olive oil- 2 tbsp.
Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
Roasted cumin powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
Chili flakes- 1 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Thick hung curd-1/2 cup
Lime juice- 2 tbsp.
Chat masala- ½ tsp
Skewers/ sticks-10-12 no.
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Honey- 1 tsp
Chopped green chilies- 1 tsp
Ginger paste-1 tsp
As an option mexican peri peri spice mix can be used as well.
Method:
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the skewers.
2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marination, divide the mixture into two.
3. Now add in the pineapple cubes into first half of the marination and mix well and keep chilled for 20 mins.
4. To the second half of the marination add in the paneer cubes and mix well, chill for 20 mins.
5. Assemble the pineapple and paneer or tofu/chicken cubes on to the satay sticks or skewers and heat up a grill pan or griller and grease it well.
6. Arrange the skewers on the hot grill and allow to get the grill marks for a couple of mins on each side and lightly brush with the marination while it is being cooked, serve hot with dips and sauces of your choice.
Non-veg variations: try the same recipe with medium sized prawns and pineapple, chicken sausages with pineapple, boiled baby potatoes and pineapple cubes, tofu, tempeh etc.
Recipe-3] PINEAPPLE POT MEAL
Ingredients:
Fresh pineapple- 2 cups cubed
Chicken cubes / soy chunks- 1 cup
Assorted cubes of red/green/yellow capsicums- 1 cup
Mushrooms-1 cup cut 1 x 4
Oil- 1 tbsp.
Butter- 1 tsp
Cooked white/brown rice- 2 cups
Chili flakes-1 tsp
Mixed herbs- 1 tsp
Tomato sauce- ¼ cup
Water/ veg/chicken stock- 2 cups
Soy sauce- 2 tsp
Schezuan sauce- 2 tsp
White vinegar- 1 tsp
Roasted crushed peanuts- 2 – 3 tbsp.
Salt and pepper to taste
Spring onion greens- 2 tbsp. chopped
Fresh basil leaves -8 -10 no
Corn flour – 2 tsp plus 4 tsp cold water to be mixed.
Method:
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the fried rice recipe.
2. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add in the ingredients one by one and give them a nice toss.
3. Add in the pineapple cubes, vegetables of your choice or chicken cubes/paneer cubes /tofu and saute on high for 1 min, reduce the flame add little water or stock and the seasonings and sauces. Cover and allow to cook for 4-5 mins, add corn flour water solution thicken slightly and cook for 2-3 mins more.
4. Add in the rice and toss it well, allow to cook for another 2-3 mins until it is all well mixed.
5. Garnish with fresh herbs, crushed peanuts and spring onion greens.
6. Portion the rice and pineapple mixture into a scooped out pineapple boat and serve it hot.
Non-veg variations: try adding shredded chicken, cleaned prawns or shrimps, sliced roast meat or even shredded double fried egg into the rice for a change.
Recipe- 4] INSALATA ANANASA
Ingredients:
For the body of the salad:
Fresh pineapple cubes- 2 cups
Boiled chickpeas- 1 cup
Tomato dices- ¼ cup
Shallots- 3-4 sliced
Cucumber- 1 small diced.
For the base of the salad:
Assorted lettuce leaves- 1 cup or shredded cabbage
For the dressing of the salad:
Olive oil- 2 tsp
Tahini paste/white sesame seed paste- 2 tsp
Lime juice- 2 tbsp.
Flax seeds/ sunflower seeds- 2 tsp
Mint leaves- 2 tbsp.
Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
Ginger juice- 2 tsp
Honey-1 tbsp.
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Fresh orange segments- 2-3 tbsp.
For the garnish of the salad:
Olives/ gherkins/ cherry tomatoes/ coriander/ micro-greens
Method:
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the salad.
2. In a mixing bowl combine together ingredients for the dressing and mix well.
3. Toss the body of the salad with the dressing just before serving the salad.
4. Assemble the base on a serving salad plate and place the tossed salad and garnish it appropriately and serve.
Non-veg variations: try adding boiled chicken cubes, boiled cubed eggs, sliced chicken sausages, shredded ham or salami, saute or boiled prawns.
Recipe- 5] TROPICAL PINEAPPLE PUDDING
Ingredients:
Fresh pineapple- 2 cups cut into small pieces
Sponge cake crumbs- 2 cups- eggless can be used as well.
Vanilla flavored custard- 2 cups chilled
Assorted chopped nuts- 2 tbsp.
Sliced cherries- 2 tbsp.
Crushed or crumbled up biscuits/chocolate cookies- ½ cup
Fresh tender coconut malai-1/2 cup sliced.
Rabdi-1 cup or whipped sweetened cream can be used.
Method:
1. Prepare all ingredients for the dessert.
2. In a serving dish or bowls create a base of the custard, add in a few cubes of pineapple, cake crumbs and nuts, cherries etc and top with some rabdi and crushed cookies/biscuits.
3. Repeat the layers and add the tender coconut as well in the layers, add in the nuts and cherries and allow to chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours and then serve chilled.
Variations for the sweet: try adding crumbled up moti choor ladoo as well into this sweet, chocolate walnut brownie can also be used, also add crushed praline or chikki, use soy milk for the custard and add date puree to make it sweet as well, also add other seasonal fruits to the pudding.
