Dal Baati Churma is one of those dishes that instantly takes me back home to Jaipur. It is traditional, comforting, and such an important part of the festive meals I grew up with.

For Ganesh Chaturthi, I wanted to keep that traditional feeling but give the churma a fresh little variation, so I made this Pineapple Churma.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE CHURMA:

The pineapple adds a lovely fruity flavor without taking away from the richness of traditional churma. You can use either fresh or canned pineapple here — both work perfectly well.

I also use one of my favorite shortcuts in this recipe: instead of making mawa separately, I simply add two pieces of any mawa-based mithai, such as kalakand or milk cake. It melts right into the warm churma and gives it that rich, festive flavor with hardly any extra work.

Serve it as part of a traditional Dal Baati Churma thali. And since this was our Ganesh Chaturthi thali, I finished it with modaks! — because no Ganesh Chaturthi celebration feels complete without modak for Ganpati Bappa.

If you like this, please try my other recipes:

• Rajasthani Dal Baati – Masala & Plain Baati With Dal
• Stuffed Jowar Dal Baati
• Stuffed Corn Baati
• Rajasthani Garlic Chutney

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Pineapple Churma

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

 

A festive twist on the classic churma, this Pineapple Churma is made with crushed pineapple, saffron, cardamom, and a simple mawa mithai shortcut. It is rich, aromatic, and perfect for serving as part of a festive Dal Baati Churma thali.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: traditional

Custom Category: Desserts, Indian Sweets

Servings: 6

Calories: 264 kcal

Author: Nidhi Bothra

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple , fresh or canned
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice , as needed to knead the dough
• ghee , for frying

Churma:

• 2 pieces mawa mithai , such as kalakand or milk cake
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar , boora, or khand
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp pineapple essence
• 8-10 saffron , soaked in 2 tsp milk
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp ghee , if needed

Garnish:

• mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios) , slivered

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour, ghee, turmeric, and salt. Rub everything together well using your fingers until the ghee is evenly mixed into the flour.
2. Add the crushed pineapple and begin bringing the dough together.
3. Add pineapple juice little by little, as needed, and knead into a medium-firm dough. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup.
4. Divide the dough into portions and shape them into rough logs. Flatten them slightly so they cook evenly and a little faster.
5. Fry the dough pieces in ghee or oil on medium-low heat until golden and completely cooked through. You can also air-fry or bake them instead.

6. Let the cooked pieces cool slightly, then break them into smaller pieces. Transfer them to a mixer and pulse well until nicely ground into a churma texture.

7. Transfer the pulsed churma to a pan and cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring continuously, so that any remaining rawness cooks out nicely. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.

8. While the churma is still warm, add the powdered sugar, mawa mithai, cardamom powder, saffron soaked in milk, and pineapple essence.

9. Mix everything together well until the mawa mithai blends nicely into the churma. Add 1/2 to 1 tbsp ghee only if needed for a little extra richness and moisture.

10. Garnish with slivered nuts. Your Pineapple Churma is ready to enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Fresh or canned pineapple both work well for this recipe.
• Use crushed pineapple rather than a smooth purée.
• Add the pineapple juice gradually while kneading so the dough does not become too soft.
• Kalakand, milk cake, or any similar mawa-based mithai works well for the mawa shortcut.
• The dough pieces can be fried, air-fried, or baked.
• After pulsing, cook the churma only for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat. This helps remove any rawness without drying it out.
• Add the sugar, mawa mithai, cardamom, saffron, and pineapple essence only after turning off the heat.
• Add the final ghee only if needed.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Churma

Amount Per Serving

Calories 264 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 19mg6%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 203mg6%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 15IU0%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.