Pineapples always remind me of a nice warm weather with a tropical feel. It is such a great ingredient to cook with but definitely a hassle to buy. Buying a pineapple is hard not only because it is difficult to find out whether it is ripe but also because it is hard to cut. Hence the easiest way to get pineapple is in its canned form. Even though this isn’t a "fancy" ingredient, it is definitely very useful nevertheless. The preserved pineapples have a great sweetness to them that works great in desserts and salads.
Canned version of pineapple tastes so great that it can be eaten as a dessert by itself! But it can be added to so many recipes too! The Basic Pineapple Sponge Cake, every 90's kid's dream cake, is elevated by chunks of pineapple in it. This dessert can be served at tea time or with ice cream post meals. The softness of the sponge cake with chunky pineapple is an epic combination.
When I think of pineapple, I first think of Pina Colada! The flavors of coconut and pineapples come together beautifully in this and same flavors can also be combined to make mousse. This delicious Coconut Pineapple Mousse is fluffy and soft because of the coconut milk and whipped cream coming together with pineapples.
Pineapples have been used in vegetable dishes for a really long time, with salads and as a topping too, but never in a Mixed Vegetable Pie. Pies are usually associated with sweets but this is a vegetable mix which is a combination of pasta, rice, veggies and tangy/juicy chunks of pineapples to add to the texture and flavor of the whole dish. Little pieces of pineapples and cherries are also added to Shahi Pulao with a Nawabi Curry. These fruits add freshness and slight sweetness to the complex masala of the pulao.