Pineapple Gotsu / Gojju (Sweet , Tangy & Spicy Gravy) - Kannada recipe

Gotsu is different from sambar or rasam because it has varied tastes - sourish, slightly sweet and at the same time, spicy :) Well, it does taste really really good! My mom makes Onion Gotsu to go with Pongal and I absolutely love it!

Pineapple Gotsu is not something I've heard of and I got to try it from a colleague when she brought this for lunch to work. It was yummilicious! I got the recipe from her and followed it step-by-step. It was quite quick to prepare and makes a sumptuous meal with white rice. Special thanks to Deepti for the great recipe :)

Pineapple Gotsu

What You Need -

Pineapple - 1  (chopped into small pieces) - Semi-sweet, semi-sour ones work best

Jaggery (வெல்லம்) - 2 tsp

Fresh grated coconut ( or Kopra) - 3 tbsp

Tamarind juice (optional, use only if pineapple is too sweet) - extracted from a lemon sized ball of tamarind

Turmeric/ Haldi (மஞ்சள் பொடி) - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

Mustard seeds (கடுகு) - to temper - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

To Be Powdered :

Channa dal / Bengal gram dal (கடலை பருப்பு) - 1 tbsp

Urad dal (உளுத்தம் பருப்பு) - 1 tsp

White sesame seeds (வெள்ளை எள்ளு) - 1 tsp

Peanuts/ Groundnuts (வேர்கடலை) - 1 tbsp

Green chillies - 2 nos.

Dry Red chillies - 6 nos. (Adjust according to your taste/preference)

Asafoetida / Hing (பெருங்காயம்) - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves (கருவேப்பிலை) - a few

Jeera / Cumin seeds (ஜீரகம்) - 1 tsp

How To -

•  Take a kadai,  heat 1 tsp of oil and fry all the items listed To Be Powdered.

• When they turn reddish-brown, add coconut shredding and fry a little.
• Allow to cool and then powder them using an electric mixer/blender.
• Add 3/4 tsp salt and 2 tsp of jaggery and blend again.
• Finally, add a little water and make a fine paste.

• While the spices/dry ingredients are getting fried, take a vessel and cook pineapple with some water. Add turmeric and 1/4 tsp salt to boilingwater. 

• Take a deep pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add 1/2 tsp jeera if you like it.
• Drain water from the cooked pineapple (do not throw away the water, we will use it in a while to make gravy) and add the cooked pieces to the pan.
• Add the prepared paste and let the pieces get coated well. Keep the pan covered and let the spices get absorbed by pineapple.
• After about 5 minutes, add water in steps, taking care to see that it does not become too watery. 

• Let boil for 5-7 minutes and turn off the flame. The final consistency should be slightly thicker than that of sambar.
• Check for salt, spice(hotness), sourness and sweet levels. Adjust as required.

Serve with white rice. Pineapple Gotsu also goes well with Dosais and Chapathis.