Come monsoon and the hills turn ochre with the harvest of different varieties of pineapple, with Kew being the most famous. On the sidelines of the fourth Meghalaya Pineapple Festival held at Dilli Haat , New Delhi, local chefs Tanisha Phanbuh, Adonijah Lyngdoh, and Ahmedaki Laloo spell out three recipes with a pineapple twist.

Pineapple chicken (Serves 2-3)

Tanisha Phanbuh, a chef at Tribal Gourmet, a multidisciplinary artist, and a MasterChef India Season 6 participant, shares a recipe rooted in childhood nostalgia. She mentions, “This is a recipe that has been made in my home every year since I was a child, whenever pineapple season arrives in Meghalaya. It’s a simple, comforting family recipe that doesn’t rely on elaborate techniques.”

Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken (curry cut or thigh/drumsticks)

• 75 g butter (divided into three portions)

• 4–5 baby onions, cleaned whole (optional)

• Salt

• Half a pineapple, chopped into chunks

• 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Method:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with a sprinkle of salt. Leave aside for 10 minutes.

• In a pan, add one portion of the butter (25 g). Let it melt, then add the chicken pieces. The heat must be low throughout the cooking process. Keep stirring to ensure all sides of the pieces are browning.

• Add the whole cocktail onions when the chicken has just begun to brown and also add another portion of the butter.

• When the chicken is 70 per cent cooked, add the pineapple chunks and the last portion of butter.

• Keep checking the caramelisation process. Brown sugar is an optional hack for when you are in a hurry or the chicken isn’t caramelising enough— add the sugar and cook until it has melted and coated the chicken.

Pineapple crème brûlée (Serves 6)

Adonijah Lyngdoh is the founder chef at Lyngwiar Dpei by ADONIJAH. The winner of The Hills on a Plate Season 1 is currently reimagining local Khasi cuisine and blending it with modern culinary techniques. According to him, the pineapple creme brûlée is a dish where, “Classic techniques and local produce come together beautifully.”

Ingredients:

• 300 gms finely diced ripe pineapple

• 20 gms butter

• 25 gms brown sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• A pinch of salt

• 500 ml heavy cream

• 5 ml vanilla extract

• 6 egg yolks

• 150 gms caster sugar

Method:

• Melt butter in a pan.

• Add pineapple and brown sugar.

• Cook over medium-high heat for six to eight minutes until the moisture evaporates and the pineapple caramelises.

• In another pan, heat cream, vanilla, and salt until it starts to steam.

• Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.

• Start whisking the hot cream into the yolk mixture.

• Strain through a fine sieve.

• Place 40–50 g of caramelised pineapple in each ramekin.

• Pour the custard over the pineapple.

• Tap the ramekin to remove any bubbles.

• Bake in a water bath at 150°C for 30–40 minutes until the edges are set and the centre is slightly wobbly.

• Cool, then chill for at least four hours or overnight.

• Sprinkle about 10 gms caster sugar over each custard ramekin and caramelise with a torch until deep amber.

• Rest for a minute. Place a chunk of charred pineapple on top before serving.

Meghalayan pineapple pani puri shots

Chef Ahmedaki Laloo is the founder of A’Origins. Her speciality lies in creating city-slick restaurant experiences with the agrarian wisdom of her Meghalayan roots. The Pineapple pani puri shots are inspired by the naturally tangy, spicy, and crunchy flavours of the hilly pineapples. It also serves as a healthier alternative to the carb-heavy potato-filled pani puri. She mentions, “This recipe reimagines a universally loved street food using indigenous ingredients from the hills.”

Ingredients:

• 2 whole ripe pineapples

• 2 tbsp wild coriander shidong

• 1 ½ tsp sun-dried chilli flakes

• 3 tbsp native citrus juice

• 1 tsp wild celery leaves

• 5-6 perilla leaves

• ½ tsp jaggery

• Salt

• 1 cup cold water

• 1 tsp fermented bamboo water (optional)

• Roasted cashew nuts

• Puffed rice

• Boiled horse gram

• Crushed peanuts

Method:

• Cut 1 ripe pineapple into 1-inch-thick rounds. Use a small cutter to make round cups. Scoop out the centre and chill the cups.

• Mix 1 cup diced pineapple, wild coriander, sun-dried chilli flakes, citrus juice, celery leaves, perilla leaves, a pinch of salt and jaggery together to make the pineapple salsa.

• Mix the citrus juice, sun-dried chilli flakes, perilla leaves, minced celery, salt, jaggery and fermented bamboo shoot water (optional) with a cup of cold water to prepare the pani. Chill the infusion.

• For the filling, take roasted cashews, puffed rice, boiled horse gram, and crushed peanuts.

• To assemble, take a pineapple cup, fill it with the horse gram-cashew filling, top it with the spicy salsa, dip it in the pani and eat it in one bite.

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