Chakka Unniyappam | Jackfruit Fritters

" Rain is not only drops of water
   It is the love of sky and earth
   They never meet each other
   But sends love this way."

Enjoy the love of nature..Happy Monsoon !! Many of you might be wondering where did this lady on earth vanish? Am very much here enjoying rains,dear friends. Back with a bang !! There were lot of constraints during the last one year of my absence due to our relocation, helping kids gets adjusted to the new school, hospitalization of dear ones and much more. However, once in a while I should have cared for my dear blog..feeling guilty about it. Sorry to keep you all waiting for newer dishes and recipes. Anyways,am trying to be regular here now. Hope this mantra keeps me motivated.Honestly,I missed each one of your yummy posts , gossips,chit chats and my dear blog space.Thanks to many of my blogger friends who inquired about my absence through mails,messages and chats. Am happy to have such good people around and who always motivated me to get back to blogging. Love you all !!

Though the jackfruit season in Kerala is almost over,yet some places there are few fruits still on the tree. Though a bit late to post the jackfruit (chakka) recipes but am glad that I could at least post these this year. Better late than never !! My taste buds were not so much inclined towards jackfruit during childhood. I had a very bad stomach upset as a child once during our vacation trips after gulping all the ripe jackfruit. That may be the point when I started ignoring the fruit. Years later, when we stayed away from this dear fruit in US and when we could hardly get hold of this sweet fruit , I realized missing something badly. Now, jackfruit season is a big welcome and had enough of the ripe ones this year too. This recipe is the after effects of this season when my mom made these at home. The blogger mind in me instantly jotted down the recipe and tried it at home.A very simple,tasty and instant recipe for an after school snack for kids and my kids love it. If you have chakka varetti ready in hand then make use of it and can make throughout the year or till stocks of chakka varetti lasts.I have used fresh chakka(jackfruit) pieces to make this yummy snack and have made this many times now. Do try and enjoy!!

Ingredients
jackfruit /chakka  20-22 pieces or  jackfruit pulp 1 cup/chakka varetti 3/4 cup
rice flour /puttu podi preferably 2 cups
jaggery /sharkara 1/2 cup (see notes)
water 2 tbsp (you may need to alter as per the consistency of the batter)
dry ginger powder / chukku podi 1/4 tsp
cardamom powder /elakka podi 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds / jeerakam 1/2 tsp
sesame seeds(black) /karutha ellu 1tsp
salt a pinch
baking soda a pinch

Method

• Puree the jackfruit pieces in a blender until smooth without adding any water.
• Heat the jaggery in 2 tbsp of water and melt it.Strain the impurities and keep aside.
• Mix all the other ingredients listed above in a bowl along with jaggery syrup and jackfruit pulp to a smooth batter, keep for 20 mins.Add baking soda just before making and keep for 10 mins.
• Heat the unniyappam chatti /paniyaram pan / dutch pan. Add oil upto 3/4th in each of the holes.

• Now using a spoon ,mix the batter well and once oil is hot enough(see notes),start pouring in each hole upto 3/4th. Wait till the sides start to get browned and sizzles up,turning the other side.If doesn't turn on its own,using a fork or skewer turn it upside down.Wait till its browned evenly on all sides.Drain on a paper towel and leave to cool.
• Repeat the same above step till you finish with the batter.If the oil is less,add more oil when required before pouring the batter.
• Serve warm or cold with tea, enjoy !!

NOTES
* I used homemade rice flour(puttu podi) , not roasted.The recipe link to homemade rice flour is here.
* You can use store brought rice flour but its better to use puttu podi than using the smooth rice flour.
* The amount of jaggery can be altered depending on the sweetness of jackfruit/ chakka, and on your sweet buds.If you are using chakka varetti, then may  need less jaggery as it already has jaggery.
* To check if oil is hot,add a pinch of batter in the center hole of the pan.If the batter sizzles and comes up ten oil is ready to fry.
* Chakka varetti recipe is here.

Related Posts
* Traditional Unniyappam(two methods)
* Rava- Dates Unniyappam 
* Kuzhi Paniyaram

Stay tuned for more chakka(jackfruit) recipes :)