Pineapple Raita
A cool, creamy Indian yogurt side with sweet pineapple and a gentle pepper-cumin warmth.
Raita spices
5 gStirred into the yogurt-pineapple mixture (step 2)Everything else
Method
- Whisk 517 g yogurt with 2 tbsp water in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- Stir in 250 g canned pineapple chunk, drained and chopped, 12.6 g granulated sugar, the raita spices and 1.5 g coriander leaves, roughly chopped, until evenly mixed.
- Cover and chill until cold; rest before serving.
Don't have something?
Plain yogurtUse 100% of the weight. Whisk thoroughly until smooth before stirring into warm gravies to prevent curdling.
Single creamUse 90% of the weight combined with 10% lemon juice to replicate the lactic tang and rich body in marinades and curries.
PineappleSame weight, peeled, cored and chopped; fresher and more acidic, so add 10 g sugar if the dish is sweet.
Canned pineapple sliceSame weight, chopped; identical in taste, only the cut differs.
Coarsely ground black pepperUse 75% of the weight. Add midway through simmering; spreads heat evenly through the dish instead of delivering isolated bursts.
Ground black pepperUse 50% of the weight. Stir in near the end of cooking; significantly darkens light gravies and provides an immediate, sharp bite.
JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
Ground cuminUse 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.
Black cumin seedsUse equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.
Fennel seedUse 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.
Coriander (cilantro) or basilUse the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.
Basil leavesUse the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.
Coriander pasteUse 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.
Similar dishes
- Same: Pineapple and Black Pepper Chutney shares pineapple, black peppercorn, and cumin seed with this dish.
- Different: It adds mustard or vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, dark brown sugar, and malt vinegar and cooks 1500 g pineapple down, while this dish is yogurt-based with granulated sugar and coriander leaves and no oil, vinegar, garlic, or ginger.
- Same: Annanas ka Raita shares yogurt, canned pineapple, black pepper, cumin, and sugar with this dish.
- Different: Annanas ka Raita uses less pineapple, much less black pepper, more cumin, less sugar, adds salt, and leaves out the coriander leaves.
- Same: Shallot & Ginger Raita shares a thick yogurt base, cumin seed, coriander leaves, and a cooling sweet side role with this dish.
- Different: Shallot & Ginger Raita uses Greek yoghurt, chopped banana shallot, fresh ginger, mint, salt, and 6.3 g cumin, while this dish uses regular yogurt, canned pineapple, black peppercorn, and only 1.1 g cumin.
- Same: Mirch Tadkewalli Dahi shares a cold plain-yoghurt base, cumin seed and a small amount of sugar with this dish.
- Different: Mirch Tadkewalli Dahi adds water, salt, mustard oil, black mustard seed and dried Kashmiri chilli in a tempering, and it lacks this dish's pineapple, black peppercorn and coriander leaves.