Malay culture and flavour forever changed our country, bringing to it’s culinary landscape dishes it would simply be bland without. Atchar is a versatile Malayan condiment found in many homes across South Africa. Here the spotlight falls on a sweet and spicy chargrilled pineapple with an interesting twist.
Sweet and spicy chargrilled pineapple with coconut-granadilla cream and pistachios
Ingredients
- 2 large pineapples
- 60ml (1/4 cup) shelled pistachio nuts, roasted
- handful fresh mint, to garnish
Sugar glaze
- 125ml (1/2 cup) water
- 60ml (1/4 cup) coconut milk
- 60ml (1/4 cup) hot mango atchar
- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- 5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
- 2,5ml (1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 80g (1/2 cup) treacle sugar
Coconut-granadilla cream
- 1 x 400ml tin coconut cream, refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight
- 45ml (3 tbsp) granadilla pulp
Instructions
Cut off the pineapple leaves and remove the skin. Cut the thorny pineapple eyes out in diagonal strips by following the contour of the pineapple. Be careful not to cut too deep, as you do not want to unnecessarily lose pineapple flesh. Cut each pineapple into quarters. Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Fry the pineapples on each of the cut
sides, 2 minutes, until charred.
For the sugar glaze, place the water, coconut milk, atchar, vanilla essence, lemon juice and cinnamon in a food processor and blitz until fine. Add to a pan over medium heat and stir in the treacle sugar until dissolved. Allow to bubble away, 5 minutes. Add the pineapple pieces and cook, 1 minute.
For the coconut-granadilla cream, spoon out the thick, creamy layer that has formed on the coconut cream and keep the liquid at the bottom of the tin for making smoothies. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut cream until stiff, 1 minute. Fold in the granadilla pulp.
To serve, top each portion of chargrilled pineapple with a dollop of coconut-granadilla cream and scatter some pistachios over. Garnish with fresh mint.
Notes
Use up leftover whipped coconut cream by placing dollops of it onto crumpets, alongside fruit, adding it to smoothies or turning it into a fuss-free icing that can be spread over cupcakes.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
