Pineapple and ginger jam

I’m on a pineapple cooking spree! But really, what else can you do when they are abundantly available to buy and you have an overload of the fruit at home? 

This time we had cut two big pineapples which turned out to be too sour to eat. So Bataany and I decided to make jam with it.

I decide to add a small piece of ginger too and it turned out so good! 😁

Here’s how we made it in case you want to make it too!

What you need:

1 big pineapple cut into rough chunks

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

3 cloves

2 cups of sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

A pinch of salt

How to make:

Chop up a few pineapple chunks finely to fill a small cup and keep it aside. (We did this because Bataany thought she would like a few chunks in her jam)

Blend the rest of the pineapple, ginger and cloves to a smooth consistency. Don’t add water.

Pour it into a heavy bottomed pan and turn on the flame to high. 

Add the chopped pineapple, sugar and salt to this and stir it until it starts to boil. 

Now turn the flame to low and let it cook for about half an hour.

Stir the jam every now and then to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Check sugar halfway, and add more if you like it sweeter.

If you feel the pineapple chunks are too big, mash them right in the pan with a potato/pav bhaji masher.

Once it’s thickened to a jam-like consistency, turn the stove off and let it cool.

Once it’s completely cooled, transfer the jam to a dry airtight jar. 

Enjoy with toast, or with chapati/dosa/idlis or even just spoonfuls of the jam directly (which is how it gets empty in no time in my house)! 😆

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Pineapple rasam... because why not?

Tried my hand at pineapple rasam for lunch yesterday and it turned out so good!

It’s super simple to make, so I’ve written down the recipe here if you want to try it too. If you do, let me know if you liked it!

What you need:

About a cup of chopped pineapples

2 green chillies
3-4 small pieces of ginger
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
Salt and jaggery according to taste
1-2 tsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1 sprig curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

Half a lemon if pineapple isn’t sour

How to make:

Lightly crush 2 green chillies and 3-4 small pieces of ginger and add the chopped pineapple pieces to this.
Add enough water to cover the pineapples and bring it to a boil.
Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and jaggery and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Then adjust salt chilli powder and jaggery.
Turn off the stove and add lemon juice if needed.
Heat the ghee in a tadka pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add jeera and the curry leaves. Turn off the stove and add the asafoetida and pour this into the rasam.

Enjoy with hot rice and ghee!

Book review: Tejo Tungabhadra by Vasudhendra

Book: Tejo Tungabhadra

Author: Vasudhendra

Genre: Historical fiction

Language: Kannada

Publisher: Chanda Pustak

Price: Hardcover Rs. 380 at Sapna Bookstore

 

What a difficult book to read this was! Although not for the reasons you’d imagine, because the writing was brilliant, the storytelling poignant, and the way the author has connected people’s lives and bridged seas and rivers thousands of miles apart was nothing but dazzling.

But the story... it hits you in the guts, squeezes your throat and makes your heart bleed. It makes you pause and look up from the pages because you can’t read anymore through the tears, it makes you put down the book and not touch it again for days because you suspect what’s going to happen next and can’t bring yourself to know.

Most historical fiction I’ve read, especially anything to do with the Vijayanagara empire, has been from the king’s perspective. His valour, his conquests, his struggles and triumphs, his love stories, his rule and how his subjects enjoyed the golden age... but hardly anyone talks about the lives of his subjects. What were their lives like? What were their struggles, their pain, their joy... why did they laugh, why did they weep? How did they dress? How did they travel? What were their names? What did they eat? Who did they love, who did they worship?

This books narrates a story that will tell you all that, and more. You’re left with a painful understanding that human society, at the very basic level, remains the same no matter which century it is or which part of the world the people are from. Violent, blood thirsty, carnal, but at the same time, seeking connections and comfort, hoping for a good life. All one big mess of humanity.

If you know Kannada and want to read something that will stay with you for a long time to come, go ahead, read this book.

I can't thank my cousin Suvarnini enough for recommending it! ❤️