Pacri nanas (malay spiced pineapple) recipe

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 4 cm cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 3 green cardamom pods, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
• 10 fennel seeds
• 3 Indonesian bay (salam) leaves
• 3 cm ginger, scrapped and bruised
• 2 red long cayenne peppers (Thai red chilies), cut in half lengthwise, take off the seeds
• 2 green long chillies, cut in half lengthwise, take off the seeds
• 3 shallots (double up the amount if you use a smaller size), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 150 ml water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• salt
• 2 calamansis

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Preparation

• Peel pineapple, cut into 8 sections lengthwise, cut off the core. Slice into 1 cm thick pieces.
• Heat oil in a skillet/wok over medium-low heat. When hot, add cinnamon, cloves, fennel, cardamom pods and Indonesian bay leaves and stir well to combine.
• Saute, stirring constantly until combined aroma of spices wafts up, about 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, shallots, chilies and curry powder; continue sauteeing often, until garlic and shallots have just wilted, about 3 minutes. Don't let them change color.
• Stir in chilies, sugar and water. Continue stirring until dissolved. Add pineapple and salt, stirring to combine. Raise heat slightly to bring liquid to a simmer.
• Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until pineapple is a bit wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Taste for salt and add more as necessary. Turn off th heat and squeeze calamansi over pineapple, stir well. Transfer to a serving dish/bowl and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.