Sweet Lemongrass Pineapple Curry

I was inspired to create this recipe from some takeout pineapple curry. I was actually unsure about having pineapple in my curry since I never cared for cooked pineapple prior. However, the menu description sounded pretty delicious so I took the plunge and am so glad I did. My husband and I loved it so much that we decided to try and recreate a similar version. We think we came pretty darn close after a few tries. It’s sweet, citrusy, warming, and a welcomed change from our usual curries. The must have lemongrass along with the pineapple make this a great curry for spring and summer too. I hope you enjoy this sweet lemongrass pineapple curry as much as we do!

Sweet Lemongrass Pineapple Curry

Prep Time: 30-45 min

Cook Time: 1.5 hrs

Serves 6

Ingredients

2″ raw turmeric chunk plus a small dash of ground turmeric to give a more golden color

2″ raw ginger chunk

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 thicker lemongrass stalk, peeled and roughly chopped otherwise 2 narrow thin stalks

1 shallot, peeled

2 TBSP ground coriander

2 tsp ceylon cinnamon or 1 tsp regular cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili pepper flakes use 2 if you want a lot of heat

1-2 small limes, 1 for the curry paste mixture, 1 for adding in at the end depending on taste preference

1 TBSP coconut oil

2 small-medium yellow onions, chopped

2 – 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1 can of coconut milk

2 tsp salt

1 small pineapple, chopped into small chunks

Cooked Jasmine Rice, to serve

Instructions

1. A food processor or similar is needed to make the thick curry paste mixture:
   1. Slice off the very outside skin on both the turmeric and ginger and chop into a few pieces and place them in the food processor. Sprinkle in a small shake of turmeric powder for added color.
   2. Add in the peeled shallot, garlic cloves, chopped lemongrass, ground coriander, cinnamon, cumin, chili pepper flakes, squeeze of 1 whole lime, and 1 TBSP water.
   3. Pulse everything a few times in the food processor, blend a bit, and then open up the lid to scrape down the sides. Repeat these steps until everything is fairly well mixed. It will be a thick mixture.

2. Heat up 1 TBSP coconut oil + 2 TBSP water in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Add in the thick mixture from the food processor and kind of flatten it down. Heat it up and toast the mixture slightly for 5 minutes while stirring.
4. Add in the chopped yellow onion and shredded carrots, and mix it all around to coat as best as you can, stirring for about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the can of coconut milk (liquid and all), 2 tsp salt, and 2 cups of water.
6. Add in the chopped pineapple.
7. Bring it all to a low boil and then lower the heat, COVER and simmer over medium heat for 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally. Lower your heat a little if your cooktop runs hot.
8. Cook your jasmine rice right before serving.
9. When you are ready to eat, taste it. Squeeze and stir in 1 more lime or add more salt to taste.
10. Serve over jasmine rice. ENJOY!

Riane’s Tidbits For Sweet Lemongrass Pineapple Curry

How to peel and prep lemongrass for curry?

Peel and discard the very tough outer leaves, cut off the bottom and top of the stalk, and then thinly chop the remaining.

Coconut Milk

I use different brands depending on where I am when I grab it. Right now I have both Trader Joe’s organic coconut milk and Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk in my cabinet. Trader Joe’s ingredients are water and organic coconut. Thai Kitchen’s ingredients are organic coconut, water, & guar gum.

If your coconut milk has guar gum in it, which is a thickening emulsifier, your coconut milk will be thicker. Health Tidbit: Guar gum is extracted from beans, so if you are dealing with strep issues, try to avoid/limit it. You can read more about strep and beans from Muneeza Ahmed here. 

Healthier Rice Swap

Brown rice is healthier than jasmine rice, but to get more of a takeout feel and taste, jasmine does the trick. I like both the Lundberg organic jasmine rice and the Lundberg organic short grain brown rice.

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