Chakkavaratty – Jackfruit jam

A mobile grocery vendor visits us every month stocked with frozen Kerala snacks and veggies. Last month when he came, I was busy with kids so my husband met him with my list. When he came back he had a big carry bag full of groceries in one hand and a small packet raised in his other hand.

With a whimsical smile he said, “See I got frozen varikka chakka! (Jackfruit) …”
In a hurry he microwaved it, tasted one sheath and said “uppolam varillallo uppilittathu!!! ” (Means ‘salt is better than salted’).

I replied, “kazhtappettu thinnanda… nammukku varattam ” (Means ‘Don’t eat unwontedly; we can also prepare’).
He raised his eyebrows and said “whatever…”

That night after dinner, I made chakkavaratti. It was just enough to fill a small jam jar! It was dismaying to recollect how abundantly we made jackfruit jam yester-years at home, with one or two whole jackfruits and the hard work behind it!!

Any way I had enough to make a small family happy!

Ingredients

1. Jackfruit (chopped) – 2 cups
2. Jaggery (grated) – ¾ cup
3. Butter / ghee – 1 tbsp
4. Cardamom (powdered) – 3 pods
5. Water – ¼ cup

Method

1. Melt jaggery in ¼ cup water.
2. Add chopped jackfruit and cook in high flame.
3. When all the water is evaporated and the mixture become dry lower the heat to medium flame.
4. Add butter and cardamom and stir continuously.
5. When the mixture became in the consistency of sticking all together into a ball remove from fire.
6. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.