In traditional South Indian cuisine it is customary to have a balance of all flavours when eating a meal, especially a big meal on a festival or in big spreads like in weddings. A pickle and a palate cleansing gojju are the most important dishes to get a balance of all the flavours. Gojju is like a curry but thicker and is served in small quantities as a little side dish to eat with hot rice. When we make gojju at home, it is often served as a side dish with chapathi or akki rotis(rice flour rotis). Pineapple gojju has a very festive taste to it with all the different spices, fruity, sweet and sour flavour of pineapple. Gojju/gotsu need not have a lot of oil added to it to make it tasty but it has to be mildly spiced and made into the right consistency. Try making this special pineapple gojju at home, here’s the recipe. Other gojju recipes on FOI.
- ½ Cup finely chopped sweet pineapple
- ½ Tbsp thick tamarind pulp or 1 Tsp tamarind paste
- 1 Tbsp or a piece of gur/jaggery/bella
- ½ Tsp coconut oil
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp urad dal
- 1 Tbsp chana dal
- ½ Tsp methi daana/menthya/fenugreek seeds
- ½ Tbsp sesame/yellu/til
- 2 dry red chillies
- ¼ Tsp jeera
- 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 1 Tsp coconut oil
- ½ Tsp mustard
- A pinch of hing/asafoetida
- Few curry leaves
- Keep all dry ingredients together. Dry roast urad dal and chana dal till they start to change colour
- Add sesame seeds and jeera and dry roast till they release aroma
- Add dry red chillies and dry roast for a few seconds
- When they all turn light golden, add desiccated coconut, mix and turn off heat. Let it cool
- In a mixer jar, add roasted ingredients, add a pinch of turmeric
- Dry grind into a powder. Add 1-2 Tbsp water and grind again till it turns into a smooth paste
- In a pan, add ½ Tsp oil, add and saute chopped pineapple till it starts releasing its juices
- Add tamarind pulp, jaggery and saute till they all mix well
- Add spice paste to pineapple mixture and mix well
- Add salt and mix well
- Make tadka with coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves. Pour over gojju
- Serve with hot rice or chapathi or akki roti
Dry roasted dals help thicken the gojju
Raisins or grapes can also be added along with pineapple
Use sweet pineapple, if it is very sour then gojju will have a dominating sour taste
Stepwise:
Keep all dry ingredients together. Dry roast urad dal and chana dal till they start to change colour
Add sesame seeds and jeera and dry roast till they release aroma
Add dry red chillies and dry roast for a few seconds
When they all turn light golden, add desiccated coconut, mix and turn off heat. Let it cool
In a mixer jar, add roasted ingredients, add a pinch of turmeric
Dry grind into a powder. Add 1-2 Tbsp water and grind again till it turns into a smooth paste
In a pan, add 1/2 Tsp oil, add and saute chopped pineapple till it starts releasing its juices
Add tamarind pulp, jaggery and saute till they all mix well
Add spice paste to pineapple mixture and mix well
Add salt and mix well
Make tadka with coconut oil, mustard, hing, curry leaves. Pour over gojju
Serve with hot rice or chapathi or akki roti
