Chakka varatti (Jackfruit jam)

I have very fond memories associated with this preparation. My mother used to prepare it lovingly, pack it in bottle and give to me. While I was staying in hostel in Lucknow during my post graduation, our choices for breakfast were toasted bread slices with  jam or aloo parathas. I used to take aloo paratha, apply jackfruit jam, roll it up and enjoy it.

We got this big ripe jackfruit last week. Spent two hours cutting, cleaning and taking out the bulbs. Some I kept to have as it is, and decided to make chakka varatti with the remaining.

Ingredients:

1700 gms of jackfruit bulbs deseeded and ground into paste

600 gms jiggery ( roughly 1/3 quantity of jackfruit)

1 cup water

¾ cup ghee

½ tsp cardamom powder

Instruction:

• Add the water to the jaggery in a thick bottomed vessel and keep on fire. When the jaggery dissolves completely, sieve it to remove any impurities
• Add jackfruit paste to the liquid jaggery and keep on medium flame. 

• Keep it covered, stir in between, taking care that it doesn’t splatter onto you.
• When it becomes quite thick and the jackfruit is cooked, keep adding tablespoonfuls of ghee intermittently.
•  As it starts separating from the sides of the vessel, add cardamom powder, mix well and remove from fire.
• Cool and store in bottle. Can be used as a spread for bread slice, eaten with parathas  and also to make payasam.