When I was young, my cousins and I used to hog on these two fruits and top it with huge dollops of curd-rice (to prevent indigestion). By the end of the summer vacation, we used to look quite rotund!
My aunts and patti used to talk incessantly about manga (mango) and chakka (jack-fruit) and the many many things that had to be prepared with them to be send away with the married daughters in far away lands. Taste of home for the girls who could return only after one whole year.
Kanni manga achar, manga thokku, avakkai manga, chettu manga and sweet manga therai were made and stored in huge bharanis and later parcelled for us.
We used to have acres of land producing every variety of mango and both varieties of Jack fruit - Varikka chakka and koozha chakka. Both used to taste excellent. Like honey melting in the mouth. Of course the ripe koozha chakka used to choke as the fibre content was quite high. So before they ripened they became chips.
My mother says that there used to be so many jack-fruits left after all the eating , exchanging with neighbors and giving away that many used to be left to rot and some were even used to feed the passing temple elephants! Now a days getting a good quality jack-fruit is a huge task and my vishu-kani is usually without a chakka.
My mom came home last week with 2 chakkas she managed to source from a farm - thein varikka. Both tasted incredible and after eating our fill, we decided to make chakka varatti.
Chakka Varatti can be equated to Jack-fruit jam. A preserve.
This chakka varatti stays good for a year and can be used in the following ways :
1. eaten as a jam (accompaniment) with dosa / adai
2. made into ela ada
3. as a base for a payasam called chakka pradhaman.
Making this 'chakka varatti' requires 2 things other than a heavy bottomed vessel and a good spatula - muscle power and patience.
Remember that the jackfruit and jaggery when cooking initially , behaves like a volcano and insists on spitting anywhere and everywhere. Your hand will ache and your arm, if not protected, will have boil marks. Cleaning the area around the work surface will be tough.
Don't get dissuaded, it is worth the effort!
I have made a short vlog on making chakka varatti.
Ingredients:
Jack fruit - 1 large , fleshed and deseeded - 2 to 3 kgs
Jaggery - 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 kgs (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
Pressure cook the jackfruit with 1 glass of water until very soft. (1 whistle, then 2 more whistles on low flame)
Cool and mash well.
Melt and strain the jaggery.
Take a heavy bottomed vessel and transfer the jack fruit and jaggery into it.
Cook till all the water gets evaporated and the varatti leaves the sides of the vessel and holds it's shape as a ball.
Cool and store in a dry vessel. Chakka varatti prepared this way stays for 2-3 years in the refridgerator and up to a year outside in an unopened airtight sealed container.
Extra notes:
If after some days you notice mould growing on the chakka varatti, just remove those bits. Then cook again for 5-10 minutes. Cool and store.
We do not use Ghee as we have noticed that mould appears on it quite easily.
In some houses, the chakka varatti is seperated into 2 halves and in 1 half freshly grated coconut is added.
This reduces the shelf life of the chakka varatti significantly. This addition can be done as and when necessary while making ela ada.
