Pineapple Sheera

Pineapple sheera is a South Indian sweet dish made of semolina. Traditionally, this contains a lot of dairy, but I have modified the recipe so I can eat it. It’s not too sweet, so it’s the perfect dish for all times of the day. I first ate it at one of the best South Indian restaurants in Mumbai called Ramashraya. This was the first time I made it though. Now, this isn’t the most traditional way to make it, but it’s very easy and foolproof.

Servings: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Fine semolina flour 1/2 cup
• Granulated sugar 1/2 cup
• Boiling water 1 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp to dissolve saffron
• Chopped pineapple 1/2 cup
• Cashews 15 whole
• Clarified butter or coconut oil 4 tbsp
• Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Saffron 2-3 strands (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the cashews into smaller pieces, preferably not more than 3 from one cashew
2. Heat 2 tbsp clarified butter in a non stick pan on medium low heat. Add the cashew pieces and sauté till they turn a light gold. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon
3. Boil water on the stove or in a kettle while the cashews roast. Once boiled, soak the saffron strands in 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Set aside till needed. Using saffron is optional, and you can totally skip it. I haven’t used it in the picture!
4. In the same pan, add the semolina and cook constantly stirring till it smells roasted and turns a dark yellow (about 10-12 minutes)
5. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water, while stirring constantly to make sure no lumps are formed. I’ve found that a silicon spatula works best here.
6. Once the water has been absorbed, add the sugar and stir to dissolve it. The mixture will loosen as the sugar dissolves, then it will start sticking to the sides of the pan
7. Once the mixture is homogeneous, add the remaining 2 tbsp clarified butter and mix well. The mixture will come together in the pan and stop sticking to the sides
8. Add the pineapple, saffron strands with soaking water, cashews and cardamom powder. Mix well and serve hot!

Tips

• I like buying a whole pineapple and chopping it up myself since it’s cheaper. You can use pre diced pineapple as well
• If you’re okay with dairy, use an equal mix of water and milk instead of just water here for better texture and richer taste
• Any type of nut can be used in the recipe if cashews are not the available. I also use 1/4 cup cashew pieces sometimes due to the fact that they’re cheaper. Nuts can also be eliminated entirely if needed
• Clarified butter or ghee has negligible amounts of lactose and most people are able to digest it (myself included). However, you can use coconut oil to make the recipe vegan!
• Please make sure to use a non stick pan and a silicone spatula to make this for the perfect texture and avoid a sticky mess on your pan
• You can increase the amount of fat if you’re not counting calories. The more the fat, the better it will taste

The savory version of this recipe, upma, is also one of my favorites. I’m glad my grandmother was able to pass on the the technique to make it and the recipe before she passed away. It’s thanks to her technique that all my semolina recipes turn out perfect, including this one. I hope you give this one a try soon and as always, please let me know how it goes!