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Pineapple curry(spicy, Sinhalese style)

Pineapple curry is a delightful dish that combines the sweetness of pineapple with the rich flavours of curry spices and creamy coconut milk.
It’s a pineapple curry recipe that can be easily cooked in 30 minutes with fresh cubed pineapple or canned pineapple.

cubed pineapple cooked as a spicy pineapple curry with onions and curry leaves.

This Sri Lankan spicy pineapple curry is cooked the Sinhalese way. The best Sri Lankan Pineapple curry I’ve cooked so far.
And I have to be honest, it’s one of those spicy vegetarian curries you just might cook every week.
It’s that good!

spicy pineapple with mustard, onions and garlic served in a bowl.
  • Tips.
    • How to clean and cut a Pineapple.
    • How to choose and pick a ripe Pineapple.
      • The leaves of the Pineapple should be firm and green, not discoloured. 
      • Do not choose a Pineapple which is overly yellow but has a mix of light yellow and green.
      • The Pineapple should be firm to the touch and not give in.
      • If the Pineapple is too ripe, you’ll notice a very sweet smell on it. 
      • Check closer to the stem of the Pineapple, avoid any fruit that has brownish, soft skin around the stem. 
  • Questions.
    • Can I use canned pineapple to make the Pineapple curry?
      • Yes, you can, make sure you avoid using the spoon as you can turn the canned pineapple pieces into chutney, rather than the chunky Pineapple curry you see here.
    • How do I cut pineapple cubes for the pineapple curry?
      • Cut the Pineapple into 1-inch pieces; this way, should you want to break the Pineapple pieces into smaller pieces, you can do it without any problems.
      • You do this by just cutting into the Pineapple while it’s cooking with your regular wooden spoon.
    • Can I adjust the spiciness of this pineapple dish?
      • Yes, if you think this dish will be too spicy for your family, then reduce the amount of chilli powder mentioned, but I find that adding coconut milk removes most of the spiciness of this dish.
      • If you want a kid-friendly recipe, then I suggest you try the mildly spiced Pineapple curry, which I’ve provided the link to below.
      spicy pineapple curry served in a black bow.

      fresh-pineapple-salsaSri Lankan mildly-spiced Pineapple curry.
      Summer salad with cucumber, melon, and pineapple.
      Spicy Pineapple Coleslaw.
      Sri Lankan Pineapple Chutney.
      Sri Lankan pineapple chicken curry,
      fresh-pineapple-salsa

      RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

      • Medium-sized pineapple cut into 1-inch cubes.
      • Curry powder.
      • turmeric powder.
      • chilli powder.
      • Roasted curry powder(substitute with Jaffna curry powder, if you are unable to find roasted curry powder; skip this ingredient).
      • Oil.
      • Mustard seeds.
      • A sprig of curry leaves(you can also substitute with basil and lime zest, as suggested by one reader who tried the recipe).
      • Garlic minced.
      • Cardamom pods slightly bruised.
      • Green chilli split(optional for a spicier dish).
      • Cinnamon.
      • large onion sliced fine.
      • Water.
      • Sugar.
      • Thick coconut milk.
      • Salt to season

      Step-by-step photo tutorial.

      Add the cubed Pineapple into a large bowl.
      Add curry powder, roasted curry powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to the Pineapple.

      curry powder, red chilli powder added to pineapple cubes.

      Combine well, and let it marinate for 5 minutes.

      mixing the curry powders with the cubd pineapples.

      Place a pan over medium-low heat and pour in the oil.
      Once the oil is warm, reduce the heat to low and add curry leaves(a sprig) and mustard seeds.
      Cook until the mustard starts popping. less than 2 minutes.

      curry powder and mustard seeds fried in oil to cook the spicy pineapple curry.

      Once the mustards start popping, add minced garlic, cardamom, cinnamon stick and sliced onions, green chillies.
      Continue frying the ingredients over low heat for a few minutes.
      Cook for 3 minutes or until onion slices are translucent.

      frying onions, garlic, curry leaves, mustard seeds in oil.

      Add the marinated pineapple to the pan and cook over low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes.

      marinated pineapple added to the tempering onions, curry leaves, garlic to make the pineapple curry.

      As the pineapple changes colour and the natural juice of the Pineapple is reduced.
      Add the sugar(1 tsp, optional if you want the curry to have a sweet element).

      cubed pineapple cooking in a frying pan.

      Reduce heat to low, cover and slow-simmer the curry for 12-15 minutes.
      If you find that there is no moisture to cook the pineapples and they are still hard then add 1/4 cup of water.

      cooked pineapple cubes in a pan.

      10 minutes into the cooking time, check the taste of the curry.
      Season with salt and sugar. add chilli powder if necessary.
      Pour in the coconut milk.

      cubed pineapple with curry powder and coconut milk added.

      If you want to have a little gravy then remove the curry once the coconut milk gravy changes.

      creamy pineapple curry on a cooking pan.

      If you want a dry pineapple curry, then cook until the gravy thickens and coats the pineapple curry, then remove from the heat.

      pineapple with curry powder and sliced onion and garlic served in a bowl.

      Serve warm with your favourite rice and curry recipe.

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      spicy pineapple curry served in a bowl

      spicy pineapple curry | Sri Lankan, sinhalease style.

      Yield: 4
      Prep Time: 10 minutes
      Cook Time: 20 minutes
      Additional Time: 5 minutes
      Total Time: 35 minutes
      A Sri Lankan spicy pineapple curry cooked the Sinhalese way.

      It’s a curry that can easily be used for a savory side dish for all you lovers of spicy food.

      The best Sri Lankan Pineapple curry I’ve cooked so far.

      Ingredients

      • 1 whole medium-sized pineapple cut into 1-inch cubes
      • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
      • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
      • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of chillie powder
      • 1/2 teaspoon of roasted curry powder(seubstitute with jaffna curry powder, if you are unable to find roasted curry powder skip this ingredient)
      • 3 tablespoons of oil
      • 1 teaspoon of mustard seed
      • A sprig of curry leaves(you can also substitute with basil and lime zest as suggested by one reader who tried the recipe)
      • 2 tablespoons of garlic minced
      • 2 cardamom pods slightly bruised
      • 1 green chillie split(optional for a spicier dish)
      • 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
      • 1 large onion sliced fine
      • 1 teaspoon of sugar
      • 1/4 cup of water
      • 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk
      • Salt to season

      Instructions

      1. Add the cubed Pineapple into a large bowl.
      2. Add curry powder(1 tsp), roasted curry powder(1/2 a tsp), red chilli powder(1 and 1/2 a tsp), turmeric powder(1/2 tsp) and salt(1/2 tsp)to the Pineapple.
      3. Combine well, and let it marinate for 5 minutes.

      How to cook the spicy Pineapple curry.

      1. Place a pan over medium-low heat and pour in the oil( 3 tbsps).
      2. Once the oil is warm, reduce heat to low and add curry leaves(a sprig), mustard seeds(1 tsp).
      3. Cook until the mustard starts popping. less than 2 minutes.
      4. Once the mustards start popping, add garlic(2 tbsps garlic minced,4 cloves), cardamom(2), cinnamon stick(1″) and sliced onions(1 large sliced onions sliced), green chillies(1).
      5. Continue frying the ingredients over low heat for a few minutes.
      6. Cook for 3 minutes or until onions is translucent.
      7. Add the marinated pineapple to the pan and cook over low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
      8. As the pineapple changes colour and the natural juice of the Pineapple is reduced, add the sugar(1 tsp, optional if you want the curry to have a sweet element).
      9. Reduce heat to low, cover and slow simmer the curry for 12-15 minutes.
      10. If you find that there is no moisture to cook the pineapples and they are still hard then add 1/4 cup of water.
      11. 10 minutes into cooking time, check the taste of the curry.
      12. Season with salt, sugar and add chilli powder if necessary./
      13. And pour in the coconut milk(1/2 a cup).
      14. If you want to have a little gravy then remove the curry once the coconut milk gravy changes.
      15. If you want a pineapple curry that is dry, then cook until the gravy thickens and coats the pineapple curry, then remove from heat.
      16. Serve warm with your favourite rice and curry recipe.

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      Nutrition Information:
      Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
      Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

      Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

      Did you make this recipe?

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      With you in mind, each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability.
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      Pat

      Saturday 16th of September 2023

      Thank you for this great recipe. It was delicious.

      jehan

      Saturday 16th of September 2023

      you are most welcome. i would love if you could leave a star rating if possible. thank you. regards, j

      Elisa

      Thursday 6th of October 2022

      Hi! Can I freeze it?

      Elisa

      Sunday 31st of July 2022

      Thank you for this recipe! Delicious and easy to make even for me who am not Sinhalese

      Lyn

      Saturday 26th of June 2021

      Hi Jehan, I have been following you for two years plus or so. I absolutely appreciate your recipes as it is all quite straightforward (not too many ingredients) yet bursting with flavours. In addition, both me and my partner had recently discovered that his ancestors came from Sri Lanka so imagine my delight.

      Anyway, was wondering if you have any tips if for having more gravy (this recipe and others). I am quite a newbie in cooking because I don't cook often as I like to.

      Thank you so much for sharing.

      P/S: I love bilimbi. Maybe you have some yummy recipes to go with it? :) hehe

      xo,Lyn

      jehan

      Saturday 26th of June 2021

      Hi Lyn, Thank you for keeping me company virtually on my cooking journey for 2 years. I'm sure you would have seen some changes on the blog through the years. can you believe it's been almost 6 years. what a journey it's been! I hope you and your partner get to visit his ancestral country soon. I'm so happy for you and for finding a connection to my motherland. Yes gravy, there's a couple of ways to make gravy. 1/adding a little water will give you a thin gravy(used as a healthier option) 2/add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut milk with 1/2 or 1 cup of water to make thin milk gravy. the more you cook it the more it will become thick. 3/simply adding 1/2 a cup of thick milk 15 minutes before removing the curry from the stove, this will give you a creamier gravy. And you are most welcome to reach out if you have any questions. There are recipes using dried billing. So difficult to find this fruit now, especially with the travel restrictions but will keep you in mind and try to find the fruit. travel restrictions etc.. Hope this info helps, regards, J

      Jomy Thomas

      Thursday 13th of May 2021

      Hi, wanted to try out this recipe and wanted to know what is the curry powder refered to in the recipe. Also please suggest some other sri Lankan recipes that I could try out

      jehan

      Saturday 15th of May 2021

      Hi Jomy, I apologize for the late reply. Any regular curry powder would do but not garam masala. the blog is full of Sri Lankan recipes so you can try any of them, just use the search bar if you have a recipe you want to find or just scroll through the recipes. Hope this helps regards J

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