Pineapple Pachadi

• Recipe by Aniamma Philip

Like raita, a pachadi falls somewhere between a sauce and a relish; its mixture of savory, sweet and tart flavors makes it a delicious accompaniment to spicy dishes like Shrimp Masala. Curry leaves, mustard seeds and crushed red pepper get sizzled in hot oil, then added to the pachadi at the very end for extra kick, an example of the Keralan flavoring technique called "tempering."

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 12 fresh curry leaves
3. 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
4. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5. 6 medium shallots, minced
6. 2 long hot green chiles, seeded and minced
7. 1 cup finely chopped fresh pineappl
8. 1/2 cup water
9. 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
10. 1 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogur
11. Salt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add 6 of the curry leaves, the mustard seeds and the crushed red pepper and cook over high heat until the curry leaves sizzle and the mustard seeds pop, about 30 seconds; remove from the heat.
2. In a medium skillet, combine the shallots, green chiles, pineapple, water and the remaining 6 curry leaves and simmer over moderately low heat until most of the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the coconut and yogurt and cook, stirring, until heated through but not boiling, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fried curry leaf mixture; season with salt. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

Make Ahead

The pachadi can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.