Pineapple sesame toast, sheera and other innovative recipes to make with the tropical fruit

Seasonal fruits are an absolute delight and one that should be enjoyed throughout the time they are available in the markets. It is a belief held not only by many people but also chefs who use them to innovate with their menus and in the process managing to put some of the most unique dishes on a diner's table.

Interestingly, the winter season brings with it a variety of different fruits that are commonly eaten like guavas, oranges and strawberries, as well as the likes of pomegranates and custard apples. One may often take the pineapple for granted because it is one fruit that enjoys a place on most fruit carts during most parts of the year. While many people use the fruit to make pineapple wine during the festive season, it is also enjoyed during the summer and monsoon.

As pineapples are still being spotted in abundance right now, it is the best time to make use of the deliciously sweet and sour fruit, even though the itchy core may not be appealing to many. If one needs any more convincing, then Mumbai chefs believe there is a lot that can be done with the fruit, especially now when they can be seen at every nook and corner in the city. Chef Sanjyot Keer, founder of Mumbai-based food venture YourFoodLab, explains, "Pineapple is a very versatile ingredient. It can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. It can be used wherever you want to add tartness; you want to add some sweet and sour zestiness, you can add pineapple to your dishes."

The chefs not only make use of the fruit to make innovative dishes but also remind people of traditional dishes that are favourites in different parts of India. From a delicious toast and smoothie bowl for breakfast to a traditional Indian sheera and even as a salsa addition to a chicken dish, and ceviche too, there is something for every kind of palate.

Pineapple Sesame Toast by Chef Aditi Handa, The Baker's Dozen, across all outlets
If you are a little hesitant about adding fruits to your food in different forms and levels for sweet and savoury dishes, then start simple. Chef Aditi Handa, co-founder and head chef at The Baker's Dozen suggests making pineapple sesame toast, which is ideal for breakfast. The city-based chef suggests combining the tropical fruit with a creamy peanut butter and ragi loaf to make a delicious toast. "Pineapple, one of the most appetising and tropical fruits, tastes great and has some amazing health benefits. This is a unique and healthy pineapple toast recipe that is easy to make," she adds.

Ingredients:

Pineapple, chopped 1 cup
Ragi loaf 1 pack
Sesame seeds 1 tsp
Peanut butter 3 tbsp
Honey 2 tbsp

Method:
1. In a pan, add two slices of the bread and toast them until it's nice and toasty.
2. Add a generous layer of peanut butter and then add the chopped pineapples.
3. Finally, finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of honey.

Pineapple Heart Ceviche by chef Thomas Catley, Tori, Khar West
While most people prefer to use the main part of the pineapple, chef Thomas Catley does the complete opposite at city-based restaurants serving Latin-Asian cuisine. Believing in the versatility of using the fruit for sweet as well as savoury dishes, Catley shares, "We have incorporated the core of the pineapple fruit in our vegetarian version of ceviche. We use the core because it is more fibrous than the rest of the fruit and that gives a better bite and feel."

Ingredients:

Pineapple heart ceviche

Pineapple heart, slices 50 gm
Cucumber, round slices 30 gm
Coloured peppers, fine juliennes 5 gm
Onion, thin slices 5 gm
Fresh mint, leaves few
Coriander, leaves few
Salted peanuts, crushed 5 gm
Thai Tigers milk 5 tbsp
Palm sugar 1 tbsp
Coriander oil drops optional
Chilli oil drops optional
Thai Tigers Milk
Garlic, chopped 25 gm
Coriander stem 25 gm
Green chilli, chopped 25 gm
Lemon juice 3 tbsp
Palm sugar 2 tbsp
Light soy 1 tbsp

Method:

For Thai Tigers Milk

1. Put the garlic, coriander and green chilli in a muddler and pound it till the ingredients are crushed.
2. Add lemon juice, palm sugar and light soy and mix well.

For Pineapple heart ceviche

1. Take the pineapple hearts, cucumber, pepper juliennes, onion slices, mint and coriander in a clean bowl.
2. Add nam jim, palm sugar and salt.
3. Mix nicely and coat the sauce evenly on all the ingredients.
4. Arrange in a serving bowl and pour the sauce around it.
5. Serve with crushed peanuts sprinkled on top.

Chipotle Chicken with Pineapple Salsa by chef Ajay Chopra at TAB, Lower Parel West

Giving a pass to the classic tomato salsa, celebrity chef Ajay Chopra, personal consultant with TAB, uses the fruit to make a delicious pineapple salsa, which he says people will love as it complements chipotle chicken, a dish they make at the city restaurant. They explain, "Pineapple adds a lovely sweetness and acidity to this salsa, and you can add as much or as little chilli as you want to, depending on how spicy you like it. It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy."

Ingredients:

Chicken breast, boneless 200 gm
Chipotle sauce 30 gm
Sriracha sauce 30 gm
Peri peri seasoning 20 gm
Oil 25 gm
Pineapple 100 gm
Green chilli 10 gm
Salt 7 gm
Coriander 20 gm
Cream 50 gm
Yogurt 50 gm

Method:
1. Mix cream and yogurt and allow it to rest overnight to make sour cream.
2. Peel the pineapple slice and barbecue over a hot grill, and barbecue chillies as well.
3. Roughly chop the charred pineapple and green chilli together and add salt and coriander. Finish the salsa with peri seasoning.
4. Cut chicken into thick strips and marinate the chicken with BBQ sauce, salt, oil, peri seasoning and sriracha sauce for two hours.
5. Grill chicken over a hot jasper grill till it is cooked from both sides.
6. Serve hot with pineapple salsa and sour cream.

Pineapple Sheera by chef Sanjyot Keer, YourFoodLab, Mumbai
If there's one dish that will definitely make you fall in love with the tropical fruit, it has to be the traditional South Indian dish of pineapple sheera, popularly known as pineapple kesari. Mumbai-based food content creator and chef Sanjyot Keer recommends making the delicious dish because it is really easy to put together. He explains, "The semolina sheera is made and flavoured with pineapple and that adds a lot of flavour to it. When the fruit is cooked, it elevates the flavour and also brings out a lot of different flavours in those fruits when the sugar caramelises while cooking." In fact, Keer proclaims his love for the fruit by not only using it on his pizzas and in his tacos but also making a chutney out of it to enjoy with paneer or chicken kebabs.

Ingredients:
Pineapple slices 300 gm
Salt a pinch
Sugar a large pinch
Lemon juice few drops
Ghee 4 tbsp
Cashewnuts, halved 8-10 nos
Almonds, chopped 8-10 nos
Pistachios, chopped 8-10 nos
Semolina (suji/rava) 1 cup
Water 3.25 cups (3 cups + 1/4th cup)
Kesar (saffron) 10-12 strands
Elaichi powder (Green Cardamom powder) 1 tsp
Sugar 3/4th cup

Method:
1. Take a coin size cookie cutter or a bottle lid and core out the pineapple slices.
2. Coat the pineapple slices with salt, a large pinch of sugar and lemon juice.
3. Set a grill pan or a normal pan on medium high heat, add the coated pineapple slices and grill on both the sides until grill marks appear and the pineapple caramelised; the grilling and the caramelisation process deepens the flavour of the pineapple.
4. Transfer the grilled caramelised pineapple on a chopping board and roughly chop them while keeping them chunky, keep aside until used for making sheera.
5. Set a wok on low heat, add 2 tbsp ghee and chopped nuts in the wok, fry the nuts until light golden brown in colour. Keep aside until used for making sheera.
6. In the same pan, add some more ghee about 1-2 tbsp, and semolina and roast it on medium low flame, until aromatic and light golden brown in colour. Remove it on a plate and keep aside.
7. Set another wok on medium heat, add water, kesar, cardamom powder and caramelised pineapple chunks, mix well and bring to a boil.
8. Add the roasted semolina in one stream and make sure to stir continuously while adding roasted semolina to avoid lump formation, keep stirring and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium high flame.
9. Add 3/4th cup sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
10. Once sugar dissolves, add 1/4th cup of ghee. Add some ghee in two batches, stir and cook until the sheera leaves the pan and the ghee has separated.
11. Add the roasted nuts and mix well. Your pineapple sheera is ready, serve hot and garnish it with some chopped or slivered nuts.
12. I haven't used raisins in the making of sheera, but if you prefer you can definitely go for it and tweak the addition of nuts as per your preference.

Green Glow Smoothie Bowl by chef Rahul Desai, Bloom Cafe, Bandra West
At Bandra-based Bloom Cafe, chef Rahul Desai includes pineapples in a nutritious dish called Green Glow Smoothie Bowl not only because of the flavour it adds to the dish but also because of its health benefits. He explains, "Apart from adding a sweet, sour and tangy flavour to the smoothie, pineapple also provides most of the necessary B vitamins and helps in forming red blood cells to carry more oxygen to your organs." For the bowl, he combines it with bananas, kiwi and avocados too.

Ingredients:
Frozen pineapple 100 gm
Frozen banana 100 gm
Frozen kiwi 30 gm
Avocado 30 gm
Spinach leaves 40 gm
Oat milk 40 ml
Yogurt (skip if making it Vegan) 30 gm

Garnish:
Sliced banana
Roasted coconut flakes
Sliced pineapple
Dices of kiwi
Muesli
Chia seeds

Method:
1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth.
2. Make sure the pineapple and banana are frozen to get a nice thick smoothie.
3. Pour the contents in a bowl and garnish with slices of bananas, pineapple and kiwi.
4. Sprinkle some chia seeds, muesli, and toasted coconut flakes for the crunch and some nutty flavour.

Also Read: Want a one-bowl meal? Mumbai chefs share these easy recipes to enjoy this winter