It all began when a resident learn an article on pineapple farmers in Karnataka. Their inventory, usually exported, was caught throughout the lockdown. To assist them out, an NGO, Vande Bharatam, tied up with Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) to get the pineapples to folks’s doorsteps.
Other residents confirmed curiosity in serving to out, however most of the produce was being despatched to house complexes and gated communities, the place extra gross sales have been possible. But that didn’t cease Sneha Nandihal of I Change Indiranagar, a federation of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Indiranagar, from reaching out to the of us at HOPCOMS.
Between its now-closed shops and eating places, Indiranagar predominantly contains unbiased properties. “We asked HOPCOMS to organise vans of pineapples to sell in the area,” Sneha mentioned. “We weren’t expecting to sell too many.”
- Ingredients
- 2 cups pineapple cubes
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cardamom
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon pink chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ cup water
- Salt to style
- Method
- Heat oil in a bottom-heavy pan, and when sizzling add cardamom, cinnamon and curry leaves and permit to crackle. Add turmeric, chilli powder, pink chilli flakes, sugar and water. Add salt and permit to prepare dinner for a minute. Then add the pineapple chunks, simmer and prepare dinner on sluggish flame for eight to 10 minutes. Switch off the range and let it cool. Then retailer in a glass jar.
Various WhatsApp teams have been knowledgeable, and I Change Indiranagar drew up a schedule, coordinating with the van drivers to cowl as a lot space as doable. “We borrowed megaphones from the police,” mentioned Sneha. “Resident volunteers followed the van, urging people to buy.” These volunteers additionally made positive bodily distancing was strictly adopted.
Each van contained 500 pineapples, and Sneha and staff hoped to promote a minimum of a pair of vans’ price. “We ended up selling 10 vans of pineapples,” she mentioned. “That’s nearly 10 tons!”
The pineapples will not be the common candy selection. They are an area naati selection: much less candy, shorter shelf life, however very nutritious. Many didn’t know what to do with them however purchased them anyway, wanting to indicate help.
That is when Lata Amashi, one other resident, stepped ahead. A former banker who now serves the deprived and is an lively member of Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar, she has been busy organising reduction materials throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. But she discovered the time to put in writing down over 30 recipes that includes pineapple as the star ingredient.
A passionate prepare dinner, Lata’s recipes included all the pieces from pineapple chutney and coleslaw to rasam and jams. The recipes have been scanned and forwarded to all the neighbourhood WhatsApp teams. There is a Part 2 of pineapple recipes in the offing too.
Vande Bharatam and HOPCOMS are so happy with the response that they’re contemplating promoting naati pineapples right here subsequent 12 months. As Sneha mentioned, “It’s been wonderful and heartening to see how the neighbourhood rose to the occasion to help our farmers.”
Pineapple panna
Ingredients
4 pineapples
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
½ teaspoon black salt
¼ cup sugar
Juice of one medium-size lemon
Mint leaves minced, one tablespoon
Method
Peel the pineapple and lower into items and roast in a pan until it’s cooked properly. Juice the pineapple, add all dry elements to it. Mix properly after which add lemon juice and salt. Serve the juice in a glass by including a pinch of cumin powder and a few mint leaves. Serve chilled.
Recipe by Lata Amashi