Pineapple Churma
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.
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
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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.
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Add the crushed pineapple and begin bringing the dough together.
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Add pineapple juice little by little, as needed, and knead into a medium-firm dough. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup.
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Divide the dough into portions and shape them into rough logs. Flatten them slightly so they cook evenly and a little faster.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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While the churma is still warm, add the powdered sugar, mawa mithai, cardamom powder, saffron soaked in milk, and pineapple essence.
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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.
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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.