Name: Chakka Varatti recipe by Shiba Nair at BetterButter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Jackfruit purée 3 cups; Powdered Jaggery 3 cups; ghee 1/2 cup; Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

ABOUT Chakka Varatti RECIPE

Chakka Varatti otherwise known as jackfruit preserve is a very very traditional & authentic sweet that is made in the homes in Kerala. "Chakka" means jackfruit & "Varatti" means cooking until the mixture becomes dry without any water content in it. This is usually made when jackfruits are seasonal & in abundance in each & every home. This is prepared & then stored for later use. It can used upto a year if preserved properly. It is made by deseeding the jackfruit bulbs & then cooked & puréed & mixed with jaggery syrup & ghee & cooked on a low flame till it becomes dry & forms a lump. It takes time to do it, so you need to be patient but it is really worth it. This recipe comes from my grandmother's kitchen. This is a very authentic way of preparing the varatti. I have seen my grandma cooking this on a big pot & stirring it gently adding generous amount of ghee. Later she distributes it to all the children & grand children.

Instructions

De-seed the fruit bulbs of a nice & ripe jackfruit and cut them into very small pieces.
Pressure cook the pieces with 1/3 cup water until the pieces turn soft.
Let the cooked jackfruit pieces cool and then puree in a mixer.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan & add the jaggery in it.
Dissolve the jaggery in about 1/2 cup of water. Strain and remove the impurities and then pour the jaggery syrup back into the pan.
Let the syrup boil on medium heat till it becomes a little thick(one string consistency).
Now add the pureed jackfruit and cook on a low heat. Cook the puree till it becomes thick.
Now adding ghee & continue to cook & stir every now & then to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep adding ghee each time you feel the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Keep doing till all the ghee is over.
Add cardamom powder & cook till the mixtures becomes thick & starts leaving the sides of the pan. It should form one big lump. This takes more than an hour.
Turn off the flame once done. Once it's cooled, transfer into a sterilized air-tight container. It stays good upto a year.
* This can be used to make chakka pradhaman, chakka ada & chakka appam or can be eaten as is :)

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