Pineapple & Black Pepper Crumble Recipe

During this long, dark month, you may find much-needed comfort in this Pineapple & Black Pepper Crumble recipe. It’s almost too easy to make, and will warm, soothe and satiate. May the vibrant pineapple inspire joyful memories of faraway places and warmer climes!

If you're partaking in Veganuary, simply swap out the butter for a dairy-free alternative to transform this into a wonderful plant-based pudding. Serve warm or cold, on its own, or with custard or a scoop of ice-cream.

SERVES 4-6

For the filling

Ingredients

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

Ingredients

100g plain flour

100g rolled oats

100g granulated sugar

100g salted butter or plant-based alternative, cubed, at room temperature

To serve

Vanilla ice cream or custard (or plant-based alternatives)

Method

  1. Trim the pineapple off its skin, prising out the “eyes”, and cut into 2cm chunks, discarding the hard core.
  2. 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 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.
  3. Meanwhile, make the crumble. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter or plant-based alternative and rub in with your hands until fully incorporated; there should be no loose flour left.
  4. Heat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
  5. Once the pineapple is soft, add the sugar and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the black pepper and vanilla extract, if using. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
  6. 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.
  7. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then serve, with vanilla ice cream or custard.

For those who like to plan ahead, you can prepare the crumble topping in advance, but don’t apply it until you’re ready to bake.

Purchase the Dishoom Cookbook
Read the café stories

Suggested Reading

See the journal

The Dishoom Battersea Story

With each new café that we open, we write a story deeply rooted in Bombay history or culture. This story, known to us as the founding myth, informs all aspects of the restaurant’s design. We spend months researching the Bombay of the period and combing the city for the right furniture, both vintage and new. In a way, you walk across our thresholds into our stories.

Christmas in our cafés has arrived

Bedecked in their annual finery of baubles, tinsel and lights, our cafés are ready to receive you for your Christmas celebration. So too are our chefs, who have assembled a most excellent array of festive fare for your table.

We humbly invite you to the soft launch of our newest café

Our soft launch will run from 27th November to 2.30pm on 5th December. And to express our gratitude for being among our first guests, all food can be enjoyed at 50% off across breakfast, lunch and dinner – yes, really.

Our cherished chai

Stop by any Bombay tapri (street stall), café, or home, and you will likely find yourself with a gently steaming glass of chai in hand. Before the invention of chai, Bombayites drank kadha, an ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds made of boiled water and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Eventually locals started adding tea leaves, milk, honey and sugar to their ‘kadha’. Chai was born.