I had eaten Pajeri Nenas a few times but the most delicious pajeri that I had ever eaten was that sold at the R&R Semanggol on my balik kampung trip a few months ago. Pajeri is a thick, dark, spicy, coconut-rich, sweetish curry often cooked with pineapple or brinjal (Oxford Dictionary). It comes in 2 types, one with santan or coconut milk and the other without. I consulted my Malay friends and browsed through various recipes online before cooking it. This version is without the santan.
Ingredients:
- 1 pineapple (1 kg without the skin and core), quartered lengthwise and then cut into smaller pieces. You may also cut it into thin rings.
- For sauteing:
- 50 g onions, chopped
- 2 gloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 inch ginger, skin removed and thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise
- To blend:
- 5 chili padi (maybe reduced for a less spicy pajeri)
- 250 g onions
- 3 gloves garlic
- 1 1/2 inch ginger
- 25 g dried prawns, washed and soaked
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp kerisik
- 1 cup of water (to add more slowly if the sauce is too thick)
- 2 tbsp sugar, either white or brown
- 1 tsp salt or according to taste
- cooking oil
Method:
- Heat up the wok with cooking oil. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and star anise till they are fragrant.
- Add in the blended ingredients. Fry them till the oil separates from the ingredients (pecah minyak).
- Add the curry powder and kerisik. Stir well.
- Add water and stir.
- Put in the sugar and salt.
- Add the pineapple.
- Keep on stirring to prevent the thick sauce from burning.
- Cook till the pineapple softens.
- The pajeri is ready to be served.