Dishoom brings a taste of Bombay’s Irani cafes to Birmingham, with the recent opening of the group’s first restaurant in the Midlands. Here, chefs Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar and Naved Nasir share a delicious dessert from their book, Dishoom
Pineapple and Black Pepper Crumble
This is Dishoom’s take on a British classic. You can serve it warm or cold, on its own, or with custard or a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. The tang of pineapple and spice of pepper work wonderfully together.
You can prepare the crumble topping in advance, but don’t apply it until you’re ready to bake.
Ingredients – serves 4-6
For the filling:
1 large, fresh ripe pineapple (you need around 750g flesh)
1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla extract
100g granulated sugar
A few twists of black pepper
For the crumble:
100g plain flour
100g rolled oats
100g granulated sugar
100g salted butter, cubed, at room temperature
To serve:
Vanilla ice cream or custard
Trim the pineapple of its skin, prising out the “eyes”, and cut into 2cm chunks, discarding the hard core. Place the pineapple chunks in a saucepan and add 200ml water. If using a vanilla pod, split in half, run a knife down the length to remove the seeds and add the seeds and pod to the pan. (If using extract, it goes in later.) Simmer over a medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, or until the pineapple is soft, stirring occasionally. If the pan starts to become dry, add a little more water.
Meanwhile, make the crumble. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your hands until fully incorporated; there should be no loose flour left.
Heat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Once the pineapple is soft, add the sugar and simmer for a further five minutes. Add the black pepper and vanilla extract, if using. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Spread the pineapple mixture in a medium baking dish and top with the crumble mix. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the topping has formed a lovely golden crust.
Allow to stand for five minutes then serve, with vanilla ice cream or custard.
Extract taken from Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar & Naved Nasir (£26, Bloomsbury) Photography © Haarala Hamilton.
