Saturday, September 15, 2007

Chakka Varatti and Aval Pradhaman


This is a special payasam made with chakka varatty (jackfruit jam) and aval (rice flakes). When you add jaggery and coconut milk, the payasam is called pradhaman. My husband had brought me three packets of Sara's precooked chakka varatti from Kochi. I had some aval at home, so here came the idea of making this delicious pradhaman! You can also make it using canned jackfruit. Cook the jackfruit, mash it and add to aval. But do not forget to add more jaggery.

What you need:

Aval -250gms
Chakka varatty -250gms
Jaggerry -1\2 kg
Thin coconut milk -2 cups + 2 cups
Thick coconut milk -2 cups
Cardamom -10 powdered
Water -3 cups
Salt -to taste
Ghee -5 tbsp
Coconut pieces -1\4 cup
Sesame seeds -1 tsp
Cashewnuts -2 tbsp
Raisins-2 tbsp

Method:

In a pan, add 1\4 cup of water to the jaggery and melt it on medium flame. Keep aside. In a non stick pan, add 1 tbsp ghee and roast the aval to light brown color. In a large heavy bottomed pan or pressure cooker, boil 3 cups of water and add the aval. Cook it on a medium flame. Then add the jaggery and 3 tbsp ghee and keep stirring till it becomes thick. Add the chakka varatty,2 cups of thin coconut milk and salt. Mix well and let it boil. Keep on a medium flame and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. It should not stick to the bottom of the pan. Now add 2 cups more of thin coconut milk. Allow it to boil. Finally, add the cardamom powder and the thick coconut milk. Mix well and when it is about to boil, put off the fire. In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee, add the sesame seeds. When it splutters, add the coconut pieces. When it turns light brown, add the cashewnuts. Also add the raisins. Pour all these ingredients into the pradhaman and mix well. Enjoy!

13 comments:

FH said...

Lissie, unusual combo girl! Looks delicious though.Enjoy:))

Pravs said...

Oh my.. Pradhaman looks soooo delicious ! Didn't know about sara's ready made chakka varatti. Next trip to India, i should look out for this. Is the chakka varatti really tasty ?
This is a new pradhaman to try for me. Thanks for the recipe.

Chef Jeena said...

Looks very nice Lissie lovely recipe. :)

Viji said...

Lovely dish Lissie. Viji

Sona - quick picks/pick quicks said...

wow!!.I ate this the first time , after my mariage, in my in-laws place...had completely forgotten abt it...thanks for sharing!!..esp, the Sara's packet image, will go staright and purchase it, the next time i go shopping...

Prajusha said...

lissie,
pradhaman looks yummy yummy.i like chakka payasam a lot.

Finla said...

Seeing the dishes i am getting homesick.When was back at home my mom used to make chakkavarattie.

Sharmi said...

that sounds like a very authentic recipe. I am bookmarking this, but have to use a canned jackfruit I suppose. You have a very beautiful template. thanks for dropping by. will blogroll you and visit regularly.

Deepa Hari said...

Hi Lissie,
Payasam looks delicious...Liked ur recipe too.

Lissie said...

thanx all of you for visiting. Sara's ready to eat food products are being exported to countries around the world. you can check in your kerala supermarket for availability.

Mansi said...

coconut, jaggery, cashews cardamom! u got me there girl!! love the combo:)

Padma said...

My God, jackfruit jam....this is nice amalgamation of ingredients in this recipe, totally new and caught me off gaurd. This is so authentic dish...

Bharathy said...

How did I miss this this post Lissie??
Chakkavaratti my alltime fav..Do you get it in Sarahs??..never knew that!!
Awesome transformation to payasam..wowo..