Kappa Chips ( Kerala Bakery Style) | Tapioca (Cassava) Chips

Tapioca (cassava) / Kappa / kolli kizhangu  is a starch available in abundance in Kerala. This was a staple food in Kerala and many people had it as boiled, cooked or fried. Tapioca is rich in dietary fibre. It is also a source of calcium, manganese, iron and folate. I must admit that this recipe of tapioca may not be nutritionally beneficial as it's deep-fried. Kids love these fries, and we too enjoy when ever it's fried at home. Mom told me to try these out, as I had a big batch of tapioca at home and had to finish off. Though we enjoyed eating kappa vevichathu(cooked) and kappa puzhungiyathu (boiled tapioca) and at last tried these. These are super crispy, crunchy and delicious, no one can eat just 'ONE',hi, hi.. Totally addictive. These are quite simple to make unlike the upperi kappa version which I posted sometime back. Only thing to remember in trying out this recipe is that it should be cut and immersed in water. The tapioca should be rinsed well to remove the toxin. Do try it out, am sure you will love it with a cup of black coffee !!

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 15 minutes

Serves ~ 8-10

Author ~ Julie
Ingredients
tapioca/ kappa 2 medium-sized or 500 gms
oil for frying
salt 1/2 -3/4 tsp
chilli powder 1/2 tsp

curry leaves 2 sprigs

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Remove the thick brown and pink outer covers of tapioca. Wash under running water and cut each in 3–4 roundels of 4'' length. Soak in water for 2 hours to get rid of the cyanide content to some extent. Drain the water and then slice it further in thin pieces and further place it on a cutting board and cut in thin julienne strips. Bakery style chips are this kind so made it this way or the easiest way is to use a vegetable slicer or mandolin to cut in roundels.

• Add the thin strips in water till the time you finish cutting all strips. Rinse the strips 3–4 times till the water is clear. Soak in enough water for 30 minutes.Drain the water completely and layer on a paper towel and leave to dry up the excess moisture.

• Heat oil in a wok to deep-fry at least two inches deep. When the oil is hot, add the thin strips and fry them in batches (don't overcrowd the wok and don't raise the heat too high, else the outside turns brown faster and may not get crisp).

• Finally, add the curry leaves and fry till crisp. Drain from oil and add to the chips.

• finally, once all the chips were fried, transfer to a clean dry bowl and add the chilli powder, salt. Give a quick toss, leave to cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Add caption

NOTES
* Cutting in strips takes time, but I personally feel this is tastier. You can cut in roundels too.
* If you plan to add salt when frying, then keep a bowl of water mixed with salt ready to add in between frying. In that case, when the chips are 3/4th done, add the salt water right in the middle of the wok and reduce the flame to low or else oil may splatter out and chances of burns are high). You can even cover the wok during this time to avoid splashes. Then drain the chips on paper towel.

RELATED POSTS
* Upperi Kappa Varuthathu
* Kappa Podi

Raw Papaya Paratha | Papitha Paratha

Parathas are always a big yes to my kids. And it becomes easy in a way to sneak in veggies too. If you are looking for a simple lunchbox idea,this can be a helpful one as well. Raw papaya is an excellent source of fiber and so beats constipation and promotes digestive health. Raw papaya has the greatest amount of carotenoids than tomatoes and carrots. Hence it helps prevent vitamin deficiencies which kids are frequently prone to have. It is also helpful to ease menstrual pains for women. Though I do prepare papaya thoran but at times this is a healthy alternative and kids love this over thoran. The taste of these parathas is similar to mooli parathas and has no obvious flavors of its own. Do try it out if you are looking to add this veggie in your menu.

Check out more paratha recipes below-
Colorful Paratha
Broccoli Paratha
Gobi Paratha
Mooli Paratha
Aloo Paratha
Egg Paratha

Preparation time~30 mins
Cooking time ~15 mins
Serves ~6-7 parathas
Ingredients
to make paratha
wheat flour 2 cups
water approx 1 cup
salt to taste
oil or ghee 2-3 tbsp

for filling
raw  papaya grated 2 cups
green chilli  1- 2 finely chopped  or chilli powder 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds /jeerakam 1/2 tsp
ginger 1/2 inch piece chopped
coriander leaves /cilantro 1tbsp chopped
salt to taste
oil 2tsp

Method

• Wash and peel the skin of raw papaya. Remove the seeds. Grate the papaya with a grater like we do for mooli(radish) paratha.
• Heat a  pan and add oil listed from the filling section. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, let it sizzle.
• Then add the grated papaya,ginger,green chilli,coriander leaves chopped and saute for 3-4 mins. Add salt to taste. The filling becomes dry and not sticks to the pan. Remove on a plate and let it cool.
• In the meantime, mix the wheat flour with salt.Add water as needed and knead to form a dough as needed. Cover and leave the dough for 20 mins.

• After 20 mins, divide the dough into 6-7 equal portion and make balls. Take out one ball and roll out the dough by dipping it in dry flour. Make a 3 inch round and then place a tablespoon of filling. Cover neatly to seal all sides, and then dip in flour and roll out again to make a 6" round circle.
• Heat a tawa and when its hot,slide the paratha on it. Flip and turn both sides on low flame( that makes the parathas more crispier ). Smear oil or ghee on both sides and transfer to a plate.

• Similarly, repeat the same step to make rest of the balls. Serve warm parathas with achar(pickle) or raitha. We had with a simple raitha and kadumanga achar( raw mango pickle).

NOTES
* You can also prepare this paratha by kneading the dough with the filling like I prepared these mooli parathas. That way it becomes easier to roll out.
* This recipe is inspired from Nishamadulikka.com and I have tweaked slightly here and there.

Chakka Kumbilappam (Step by Step Pics) | Vazhana Ila Appam | Edanayilappam | Cone Shaped Steamed Jackfruit Dumplings

How many of your kids help in kitchen chores? My kids do help me out sometimes and invariably I make sure that they atleast put their plates in the kitchen after every meal and clean up their side of the table(like picking up the left out food scraps and throwing in the trash). This is not to ease my job but to develop a sense of responsibility and sense of cleanliness in them. Yesterday, my elder one finished his dinner and forgot to pick up the food scraps. When he came over to the kitchen, I was busy there. All of a sudden he remembered that he forgot to pick the scraps, so he tells me, 'Amma, I finished eating but I think my table is still eating.' All of us laughed at his instant excuse.
Jackfruit (chakka) is a common fruit available in abundance in Kerala which has lost its charm over the years. However, recent studies show that jackfruit is a fibre rich healthy fruit that has many embedded nutrients too. It has anti cancerous properties and anti inflammatory benefits. Raw jackfruit cooked is even best for diabetics as it has a low glycemic index compared to rice and wheat.Today's recipe is another traditional appam made from chakka.This is made using vazhana ela / edana ela / Indian bay leaves which are fragrant and long leaves.These leaves are folded in the shape of a cone ,sealed with a coconut leaf steam or eerkil and the dough is filled in to these and covered with the left out leaf corners.These are then steamed which makes it even more guilt free and healthier. The ultimate product is a delicious kumbilappam(steamed cone cakes) with the fragrance of vazhana ela or edana ela.

We have these leaves in our backyard at home and so it becomes easy to pluck it up anytime. If you don't find these leaves then you can always use banana leaves or parchment paper as an alternative. These are very healthy after school snack for kids and they feel full too. There is no use of oil and this recipe makes use of jaggery instead of sugar which makes it guilt free. I have seen these lined up in the frozen aisle of Indian stores in US and used to get over soon. But they lose the fragrance and tastes by the time it  reaches there. You should definitely make it a point to try atleast when you come home or visit Kerala by any chance. Do try these out and enjoy !!

Preparation time ~20 mins
Cooking time ~10-12 mins
Serves ~8-9
Ingredients
cooked jackfruit(chakka) 1 cup or chakka varetti 3/4 cup
grated coconut 1/2 cup
roasted rice flour(idiyappam podi/ ari podi ) 3/4 cup-1 cup
cumin powder / jeerakam podi  1/2 tsp
dry ginger powder /chukku podi  1/4 tsp
cardamom powder/ elakka podi   1/2 tsp
jaggery /sharkara  1/2 cup-3/4 cup
water 1/4 cup

vazhana ela/ edana ela/ bay leaves 8-9

Method

• De seed the fruit and keep aside. Slice them in small pieces and put in a pressure cooker with 1/4 cup water and cook for one whistle on high heat. Wait till the pressure is released, remove in a plate or bowl.OR If you are using chakka varetti, then directly add to the plate and mix with other ingredients.
• Clean the vazhana ela or edana ela under running water and then wipe with a paper towel or clean cloth. Make a cone and prick it with a coconut leaf steam (eerkil) or toothpick.

Vazhana Ela (Edana Ela)

• Add about 2tbsp of water and boil in  a pan with jaggery. When melted,strain and remove impurities. If you are using chakka varetti,then adjust the jaggery quantity as per sweet tooth as chakka varetti already has sweetness. I have just mixed the melted jaggery with cooked chakka and not used chakka varetti.This works out fine too, you can see the pics for more better understanding.

• Add the other ingredients listed except water and  vazhana ela, mix well. The dough shouldn't be very tight nor very loose. 
• Fill the prepared cones with the dough and cover the top with left out corner of the leaf.
• Place it in  a steamer filled with water. Steam the appams for 10-12 mins or check with a tooth pick by pricking in the center of a appam,it should come out clean.
• Remove on  a plate and serve warm.

NOTES

* If you don't get hold of edana ela or vazhana ela then you can use banana leaves or parchment paper as an alternative. But in that case, you can't make a cone out of it but can always spread like a ragi ela ada or ela ada.
* The dough shouldn't be very tight neither too loose then only the appams turns out soft.
* This appam is also called Therali appam in some parts of Kerala popularly made during Attukkal Pongala. In that case, the making differs slightly. Place cylindrical shaped dough in one corner of the leaf( the tail end not the stem part).Roll over the leaf on the dough and place another cylindrical shaped dough and roll over to close the leaf using the corner stem. Just insert the stem in the leaf and close. Both sides of the dough are exposed like a cylinder. Place in a steamer and steam like above process.
* Also if you don't get hold of chakka, you can always use plantains instead of chakka.Boil and mash the plantains and remove seeds. OR You can make it plain using just coconut, jaggery and rice flour too to make plain kumbilappam.

RELATED POSTS
Chakka Varetti
Chakka Unniyappam

Vazhapindi Thoran | Banana Stem Stir Fry

Vazhapindi(banana stem) is a low calorie,low carb vegetable. The banana stem is loaded with fiber and feels satiated soon.Banana stem is enriched with potassium and vitamin B6. It contains no sodium,cholesterol and fats. Banana stem is also beneficial for regulating acidity. If you are looking to lose weight,then banana stem juice is an excellent option.Banana stem is also very effective for regulating insulin in the body and helpful for diabetic patients.It also helps to prevent urinary tract infections as it is an excellent diuretic.The banana plant is loaded with edible goodies and uses; for eg the banana flower, the fruit, the leaves and finally the stem.I have already posted two recipes with banana flower; vazhakoombu thoran, vazhappoo pakora. This thoran is also made on similar lines an tastes delicious with steamed rice.

Preparation time ~30 mins
Cooking time ~15 mins
Serves ~ 4-5 people
Ingredients
vazha pindi (banana stem) 1 medium sized piece
onion 1 small or half of one
uncooked cow peas (vanpayaru) 1/3 cup
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
salt
oil 1 tsp

To coarsely grind
grated coconut 1/2 cup
cumin seeds1/2 tsp
garlic cloves 3-4
green chilies 3-4

To temper
mustard seeds 1 tsp
boiled rice 1 tbsp
curry leaves 2 sprig
red dry chilies 1 broken
oil 1 tbsp

Method

• Remove the outer covers of the banana stem and retain only the thick inner core as in pic.Wash and cut thin roundels of the vazhapindi(banana stem) and remove the threads(Place in a bowl of water to prevent browning). If you are chopping immediately then there is no need to immerse in water.Chop it fine along with onion.
• Soak the vanpayaru(cow peas) overnight in water. Cook vanpayaru(cow peas) with salt and turmeric powder for 3-4 whistles.

• Cook the vazhapindi(banana stem) mix with turmeric and salt after draining the water. Add the coarsely grind coconut with the vazhapindi and cook on low flame for 5-6 minutes. The steam generated is just enough to cook 3/4 th.
• Then add cooked vanpayaru(cow peas) with remaining water if only little left or else drain water and add. Finally, cover and cook for another 2 minutes.Check in salt and adjust accordingly.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds,fry red chillies and add in the boiled rice.When it puffs up then add curry leaves. Switch off flame and pour over the thoran (stir fry).
• Serve with steamed rice .

NOTES

* The banana stem leaves out water so there is no need to add more water.

* You can make the thoran without adding vanpayaru too but this adds an extra crunch and taste.You may even add cooked cheru payaru(green gram) instead of vanpayaru(cow peas).

Dabeli | Kutchi Dabeli | Homemade Dabeli Masala,Pav Bread and Chutneys

Dabeli is a Gujarat snack that has spicy, sweet and sour flavors sandwiched in a bread roll. This is a very filling and healthy snack. I was apprehensive of kids tastes when I started putting up the dabeli together but to my surprise they totally loved it. The buns are stuffed with a potato masala with a sandwiched between a spread of  garlic chutney and sweet tamarind chutney with a added crunch of spiced peanuts, nylon sev and pomegranate seeds. Oh !! My mouth is watering as I write this up,so you can imagine the amount of flavors that seeps in this recipe. On a casual talk with my friend, H on phone, she mentioned her preparing dabeli with store brought buns. And we went on to talk so much about dabeli that I couldn't resist the flavors. Next day itself, I started preparing myself to get on making dabeli. However, I wished to fulfill making dabeli with homemade pav bread. That's how I ended making my own pav bread at home which I previously posted. Need I say more??

I will not say that you should try this recipe making everything from scratch as I did. But if you can you should definitely give this a try with homemade ingredients,chunteys which brings out the actual flavors. The best part of my making dabeli was kids waited patiently till I took snaps of each step assembling the dabeli and finally when I finished clicking pictures,they just pounced on these cute little stuffed buns. This is one of the longest posts that I have written and am sure it will be easy for you guys to looks through in one page for all details here.We totally loved it at home and am sure your family would also love it. Go ahead and give this a try for small kitty parties or just as a after school snack !!

Serves~ 4 dabelis
Ingredients
for dabeli masala 
*red dry chilli 1
coriander seeds /malli 1 tbsp
cumin seeds/ jeerakam 1 tsp
cinnamon /karugapetta 1" stick
cloves 3
pepper corn 3-4

for roasted peanuts
de skinned peanuts 1/2 cup
chilly powder 1/4 tsp
asafoetida(hing/ kayam) a pinch
salt to taste
oil 1 tsp

for garlic chutney (lehsun chutney)
garlic /lehsun cloves 7-8 large
lemon juice 2 tsp
chilly powder 1 tsp
salt to taste
water as needed

for potato masala
dabeli masala 2 tbsp (recipe below)
potato boiled and mashed 1 cup
lemon juice 1 tsp
tamarind chutney 2 tsp
oil 2 tsp
salt to taste
chopped cilantro 2tbsp (for garnish)
grated coconut 2 tbsp (for garnish)

for making dabeli
pav bread 4
pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup
onion 1/2 cup finely chopped
nylon sev 1/2 cup
butter 2-3 tbsp
tamarind chutney as required
potato masala (recipe below)
roasted peanuts 1/2 cup (recipe below)
garlic chutney (recipe below)as required
green chutney (if required)

Method
For dabeli masala 
Warm up all the spices listed under 'dabeli masala'. Leave to cool and blend to powder.

For spicy peanuts
Warm up the peanuts in a tawa till slightly browned. Let it cool down and then remove the skin by rubbing them in hands. Then add a tsp of oil in the same pan, add in chilly powder, asafoetida (hing) and peanuts. Mix well and turn off heat.

For garlic chutney
Blend the garlic,lemon juice,salt  and chilli powder until smooth in a blender. Add water if required. Garlic chutney is ready.

(Garlic chutney on the left and Spiced Peanuts on the right)

For tamarind chutney and green chutney-
The recipe for both these chutneys is already listed here. I have used homemade chutneys always.

For Potato masala 
Mix the dabeli masala and tamarind chutney,keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. When the onion gets wilted, add the tamarind dabeli masala. Add the mashed potatoes,salt if required and mix well.Cook for 2 mins and switch off flame. Finally,add the lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a plate,divide in four portions and keep aside. Add grated coconut on top and chopped cilantro.

Assembling

• Slice the buns in half and keep aside. Warm the buns with a tsp of  butter on a pan and turn both sides. Place on a plate.
• Apply the garlic chutney on the bottom layer. Then, add the tamarind chutney on top. Place a portion of the prepared potato masala. Add nylon sev,spiced peanuts,chopped onion and pomegranate seeds on top.
• Apply garlic chutney and tamarind chutney on the inside of the top portion of the buns.

• Repeat the same step with remaining buns. Close the buns and serve hot. Enjoy !!

NOTES
* You can use store brought buns,store brought chutneys to make this at home. But I personally feel homemade chutneys brings out the original flavors.
* The sweet tamarind chutney recipe is here and green spicy chutney recipe is here.
* You can make your own version of sev at home,the recipe is here.
* Increase the red dry chilli if you love the potato masala spicy.

RELATED POSTS
* Golgappa or Panipuris (Homemade puris)
* Moongdal Khasta Kachori (step by step pics)
* Bhelpuri Chaat
* Papri (papdi) Chaat
* Murmure Chaat 
* Dahi Vada (no oil,microwave version)

Pav Bread (Eggless) | Bombay Pav (Step by Step Pics)

Pav bread always reminds me of Pune days, nostalgic memories. Vada pav, pav bhaji, dabeli, chats are the delicious available street food in Mumbai and Pune. None can resist the yummy flavors they add with toasted bread. Pav bread is the poor man's bread and so is made with only basic ingredients. I have always used store brought breads to recreate them at home. However, I had always wished to try this sometime at home from scratch.The shops generally use dalda in making these breads instead of butter but I have used butter as dalda is not healthy.This recipe is adapted from here and Lakshmi Nair's travel cookery show.I made a very small batch as it was trial and error but to my surprise it came out really good.You can always double the ingredients and make larger batches. My oven has a issue with the browning and so didn't get a golden brown color but the bread was pillow soft and spongy. I made dabeli with it and everyone loved it. Stay tuned for the dabeli recipe :)

Preparation time(including proofing) ~ 2 hours
Baking time ~ 8 -12 mins
Serves~ 9 small buns or 6 large 
Ingredients
all purpose flour(maida) 1.5 cups
active dry yeast 1 1/8 tsp
sugar 1tbsp
butter 1.5 tbsp
salt 1/2 tsp
leuk warm water 1/2 cup + 2tbsp

Method

• Mix yeast with leukwarm water and sugar. Wait for 5 mins and let it rise.
• In a bowl,sift all purpose flour and salt.Add the yeast mixture.Knead for 8-10 mins until gluten sets in.Then finally add the butter knead again for 2-3 mins. Place in a clean bowl and cover it with a clean damp cloth. Leave for proofing for an hour.
• After an hour, make equal sized balls (40 g each) and place it in a baking tray with space in between ,leave for second proofing for 45 minutes.

• Towards the end of second proofing, pre heat oven to 450 degrees F or 232 degrees C.
• Place the tray after second proofing in the oven and bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 mins.(mine was done in 12 mins)

• Brush the top immediately with butter to keep the crust soft. Leave to cool and then use for making pav bhaji,dabeli and vada pav.
• Enjoy soft spongy pav bread!!

NOTES
* Gluten sets in means when the dough becomes very elastic and becomes like a membrane thin. For better understanding ,see my post on wheat bread here.
*  The oven temperature may vary as per ovens, brands etc. So keep a watch from the 8th minute onwards.
* My oven had an issue in getting the golden brown color but the bread came out super soft and spongy.

RELATED POSTS
* Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
* Shaped Dinner Rolls
* Sweet Raisin Buns
* Coconut Stuffed Buns
* Wheat Bread using Tangzhong method
* Dilkush

Paneer Lababdar | Side Dish for Chapathis / Naan ( Step by Step Pics )

 Its been a while since I posted vegetarian gravy dishes and so this post is dedicated to all my vegetarian friends and of course the non vegetarians too if they love paneer. Paneer (cottage cheese)dishes are always a big 'YES' in my family and kids love it. But I prefer making paneer from scratch at home, you can see the homemade paneer recipe here. However, store brought paneer also works fine for this gravy and its only a matter of personal preference.This gravy is not very spicy and goes well with rumali roti or butter naan or chapathis. This is a crowd pleaser recipe so you can always try this for your guests.It hardly takes any time to put together and the ingredients list is easily available at home. Do try this out and enjoy !!!

Preparation time~15 minutes
Cooking time~20 minutes
Serves ~5-6
Ingredients
paneer /ricotta cheese cubes 260 g(aprox 250g or 1/2 lb)

for masala
onion  1cup finely chopped or 1medium sized
ginger paste 2tsp
garlic paste 2tsp
turmeric powder 1/2tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
tomato 2.5 cups chopped or 3 medium sized
cumin seeds 1tsp
coriander powder/coriander crushed 1tsp
kashmiri chilly powder 1/2-3/4tsp
lemon juice 2tsp
salt to taste
oil 2tbsp
sugar a pinch

to garnish 
kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) 1tsp
coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped 1 tbsp

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds when hot.When it crackles,add onion and saute until the onion turns slightly browned.Now,add the ginger and garlic paste.Saute again till raw smell disappears.
• Add the spice powders,turmeric powder,coriander powder,chilly powder, garam masala and salt.Saute on low flame until the raw smell disappears.
• Add in chopped tomatoes and saute until tomatoes gets cooked and is mushy.Switch off flame and wait to cool to blend.

• Add this mixture in the blender with  a little water and grind until smooth.Add the paste(reserve the blender cleaned masala water) to the same pan and saute on low medium flame.
• Cook for 2mins and then add the reserved masala water.Add in salt if required and add lemon juice(add more water as per the consistency of the gravy desired). Add salt if required and add a pinch of sugar to balance tastes.

• Add the paneer cubes and cook for a minute. Rub kasoori methi in your palm and add to the gravy.
• Finally garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve warm with butter naan / chapathis /  rumali rotis.

Add caption

NOTES
* You can use chilly flakes instead of chilly powder.
* If you wish to make the gravy more rich then soak a tbsp of cashews in water for 2hours.Grind along with the onion tomato mixture.OR you may even add a spoon of butter or garnish with heavy cream.However,the gravy tastes delicious and is creamy without any added calories.I haven't added any of the listed.
* You can leave out kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) but my family loves it and so I add to these kind of garvy;gives a nice aroma.
* I have followed Chef Vikas Khanna's recipe and have tweaked here and there slightly.

RELATED POSTS
* Paneer Korma( Kurma)
* Mattar Paneer Curry
* Palak Paneer  Masala
* Paneer Khurchan
* Mushroom Paneer Pulao

Chakka Varetti | Jackfruit Preserve

How are you all ? Hope all are doing good.I was to totally busy attending two marriages lined up in the last few days. Marriages are always a great time to catch up with friends,cousins and relatives. Also,you get time to hog good food .Kids also enjoyed their time with their cousins. All is done and we are back to our normal routine.This year's chakka(jackfruit) season is almost to an end and I know many of you might have preserved the jackfruit in many ways.One of the best way to preserve jackfruit is chakka varetti. This stays good for a year if handled properly.There are many recipes made with this preserve like unniyappam, kumbilappam,  chakka pradhaman, chakka ela ada and so on. I have always carried my mom's made chakka varetti until I tried my hand on this since last year. This is definitely a time consuming,energy consuming process but the end product is just awesome. Its always better to make in larger batches and preserve in small jars so that each time you can use up a jar and that way the freshness is sealed well. Stay tuned for more recipes with chakka varetti !!! :)

Preparation time ~ 30 mins
Cooking time~ 40 mins-1 hour
Serves ~ one medium sized bowl
Ingredients
jackfruit / chakka 3 cups
jaggery / sharkara 1.5 cups
cumin powder /jeeraka podi 1/2 tsp
cardamom powder / elakka podi 1/2 tsp
dry ginger powder / chukku podi  1/2 tsp
ghee / neyyu  2 tbsp

Method

• De seed the jackfruit and slice the jackfruit in pieces.Cook the jackfruit pieces in one cup water in a pressure cooker for one whistle on high heat. Switch off flame and wait till pressure is released. Let it cool and puree in a mixer.
• Heat a pan and melt the jaggery in half cup water. Continue heating the jaggery and get it to one string consistency. One string consistency- take a little syrup from the back of the spatula or spoon and press it in between the thumb and index finger. When you pull the fingers apart,a string forms is the one string consistency. At this point, add in the jackfruit puree.

• Use a long handed spoon or spatula and keep mixing.Keep the flame on medium heat ,stir in between.Initially you may find the bubbles rising up on top and splashing outside.Its better to close the pan at this point on medium low heat and wait till the splashes settle.There are chance you may get burns.
• Continue stirring till the mixture is reduced considerably. Add in the ghee and all the powders listed, mix well.
• Keep mixing until the mixture turns brown and starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Transfer to a clean dry bowl and leave to cool.
• You can serve it just like that or use for chakka varetti used recipes like chakka unniyappam, kumbilappam, chakka ada and so on. If not using just like that, store in clean dry containers.This can be stored for a year.

NOTES

* Chakka is a seasonal fruit and may not be available all throughout the year. So this is an excellent way to preserve the fruit.

* Use clean dry spoons to scoop out preserve each time and use air tight containers so that it remains fresh all through the year.

* The color of the preserve totally depends on the type of jaggery you use.I have used the dark brown coloured jaggery.