Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Vazhana Ila Appam/ Jackfruit Kozhukattai

       Kumbil Appam is an authentic snack item of Kerala. The name 'Kumbil Appam' of this dish is because of the shape of the Appam. Kumbu meant for the 'cone' shape of this appam. This Kumbilappam is totally flavoured by the wrap used in this appam vazhana Ila/ Therali Ila/ Indian Bay leaf.
The strong smell of the leaves enter into the appam while steaming and gives a amazing flavour to this dish.

       We have this tree in our backyard so it is easy to prepare at any time we wish. Easy to make dish in a jiffy if you have appam podi/ roasted rice flour at your home. Purely a traditional dish with Jack fruit. You can keep this appam for 2 days if you prepare with fresh coconut. If you planned to used it more than that roast the coconut and use it for 5-6 days.

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Preserve- 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 1/2 cup
Water- 1/4 cup
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Roasted Rice flour/ Appam Podi- 1 cup
Cumin seeds/ Jeera, crushed- 1/4 teaspoon
Dried ginger/ chukku, powdered- 1/2 teaspoon
Cardamom- 1/4 teaspoon
Vazhana Ila/ Edana Ila/ Indian Bay leaves- 7-8

PROCEDURE:

• Take Jaggery in a pan and add quarter cup of water and heat it and make syrupy consistency. (string consistency- If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form string. If you touch the syrup inbetween fingers it should form a string)
• In a bowl take chakka varatti and add the warm syrup over the chakka varatti and mix well to combine without any lumps.

• Powder the jeera and cardamom seeds. Roast the coconut till light gloden colour. (To avoid spoilage. If you are consuming on the same day rosting is not necessary).
• In another bowl add the rice flour, jeera and cardamom powder, dried ginger/ chukku powder and roasted coconut and mix evenly.

• Now add a tablespoon at a time rice flour mixture to the chakka varatti jaggery mixture and mix well.
• Likewise add the whole lot. Finally the mixture should not stick to your hands if you touch with fingers. If it is sticky add a tablespoon or two of roasted rice flour and mix well.
• Wash the Bay leaves and wipe them. Make a cone shape out of the leaves and pin it using coconut picks (Eerkil).
• Fill the cones with chakka mixture till top.

• Heat water inside Idli steamer and allow to boil. Keep the Idli base plate and spread the filled cones.

• Close with the lid and steam for about 15 minutes. Cooking time varies depends on the sizes of the cones.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Read More »

Chakka(Jack Fruit) Ada/Jack fruit Ela Ada/ Ilayappam/ Vazhayila Ada/ Ela ada with Chakka Varatti

       Easy to make evening snack with a traditional touch. I should say this Ela Ada/ Chakka Appam is so tasty and a must try dish. I love the banana leaf flavour in the outer covering and the jackfruits fruity taste combined with the cardamom and coconut really tastes delicious and a feels like a treat for a sweet tooth. You can have this as a snack or breakfast or even used as a dessert.

      Easy to make dish, if you have roasted rice flour at home. You can make this outer covering from boiled rice too. If you are planning to do in parboiled rice soak the rice for two hours and grind  as a thick paste by adding minimum water and add some salt and spread on the leaf and follow the same instructions.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice- 1 cup (or) Roasted Rice flour/ Appam powder- 1 cup
Salt- to taste
water- 1/2 cup
Banana Leaf/ Vazhanayila/wax paper- 6 pieces

Filling:
Chakka Varatti- 1/4 cup
Jaggery, grated- 1/4 cup
Coconut, grated- 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- pinch

PROCEDURE:

• If you are starting from  Rice flour soak a cup of raw rice for an hour or two and powder it and pass through appam podi sieve and get the fine powder.
• Roast the flour in a heavy bottom pan till you get the roasted aroma of the flour.

• In a bowl add the chakka varatti, grated jaggery and mix well with spoon without any small pieces jaggery exists.
• Now add the grated coconut and cardamom powder and salt; mix well and keep aside.

• In another bowl add a cup of roasted rice flour/ appam powder and add normal water little by little till you get the chapathi dough.
• Then add little more water to make a pliable dough (thick clay clay form but should not stick in hands)for easy spreading.
• Divide the dough into small 4-5 lemon sized balls.

• Cut the banana leaf from midrib around 15-20 cm length and width.
• Spread the balls into round shape on the banana leaves as a thin layer. Dip the fingers in water and spread if needed.

• Keep a tablespoon full of filling and lightly spread the filling on one side and close with the other side.

• Heat water inside the idli steamer and allow water to boil.
• Spread the ela ada evenly over the idli steamer base plate. If you think water enter inside keep onemore idli plate above and spread the ada.
• Close with a lid and steam for about 10-15 minutes till the ada cooks properly.
• The rice flour cooks and the colour of the white shade changes.
• If the ada cooks you can able to peel the banana leaf from the ada easily from both the sides.

Note:

• You can make this outer covering from boiled rice too. If you are planning to do in parboiled rice, soak the rice for two hours and grind  as a thick paste by adding minimum water. Add some salt and spread on the leaf and follow the same instructions.
• Adjust the jaggery and coconut level according to your taste.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

Read More »

Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam

       Now jack fruits are in season and i am now in my Native place where Chakka (Jack fruit) is so famous. So many varieties of Jack fruits we get on this season in our home when we were kids from our backyard. We all grownup and lazy to cut and clean the fruit. Another reason snacks from Bakeries, packed foods dominated our house too.

      This time i have planned to use this jack fruit to make various dishes prepared using jack fruit. I made 'Chakka Varatti' out of this Jack fruit and now i made this pradhaman using this Chakka varatti. Chakka Pradhaman can be made using fresh jack fruit carpels too. If you use fresh fruit for this recipe you require around half a cup of jaggery. As i have added Jaggery earlier in Chakka varatti here i am using lesser quantity of jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit preserve- 3/4 cup
Jaggery- 1/4 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Thin coconut milk- 2 cup
Dry ginger/ Chukku, powdered- 1/2 teaspoon
Cardamaom-3
Ghee- 1 tablespoon
Coconut, finely chopped - 1 tablespoon
Cashewnuts- 8-10
Raisins/Kishmish- 8-10
*If you use fresh jack fruit carpels take 1 cup carpels pressure cooked in 1/4 cup of water and use Jaggery 1/2 cup and follow the same instructions.

PROCEDURE:

• Dissolve jaggery in quarter cup of water and boil well and strain the dirt's if any.
• In a pan take Chakka varatti and the jaggery syrup and allow to boil.
• Stir well using a laddle and dissolve the chakka varatti without any lumps.

• Add thin coconut milk and cook well. 
• Add the powdered dry ginger, cardamom, jeera and mix well.
• Add the thick coconut extract and mix well.

• Add ghee in a pan and roast the coconut pieces till golden colour.
• Remove the coconut pieces from ghee and add cashew nuts.
• Once it becomes golden add the raisins, when it puffs up switch off the gas and pour it over the pradaman.

• Add the roasted cashews and coconut with the pradaman and mix well to combine.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

Read More »

Chakka Unniyappam/ Chakka Paniyaram/ Chakka Neiyappam/ Chakka Appam/ Chakka Bonda/Chakka Kuzhipaniyaram/ Jack Fruit Fritters

       Chakka Unniyappam can be prepared using fresh Jack fruit puree or using Jack fruit preserve/ concentrate called Chakka Varatti. Using Chakka varatti this unniyappam is more tasty because of the concentated fruit pulp and the spices gives a rich fruity taste. If you are preparing this unniyappam using fresh jack fruit, use a cup of jack fruit puree (puree the carpels in blender without adding water) for the below mentioned quantity and follow the same procedure.

      This unniyappam can be made in bigger size by directly dropping a small ladle full of batter on a hot oil. Flip the paniyaram using a spoon once the bottom side cooks and fry the the other side too till brown colour. This fritters can be stored for a month in air tight containers.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice- 2 cups

Jaggery, grated - 1 ½ cups

Water- 1/2 cup

Cakka Varatti - 1/2 cup (or)Fresh Jack fruit puree- 1 cup

Cardamom- 4

Dry ginger- 1 inch piece

Cumin seeds/ Jeera-1/2 teaspoon

Ghee- 1 tablespoon

Coconut, chopped- 1/4 cup

PROCEDURE:

• Soak the rice in water around 1-2 hours. Drain water from rice.
• Powder the rice using a blender. It is not necessary to powder it too fine.

• Grate the jaggery and add half a cup of water and turn on the heat.
• Dissolve the jaggery and allow to reduce and form the syrupy consistency (one string- If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form string. If you touch the syrup in between fingers it should form a string ).

• In a bowl add the chakka varatti and add the warm jaggery syrup over it. dissolve the chakka varatti using a spoon/ ladle.
• Powder cardamom, dry ginger and cumin seeds together as a fine powder and add in the bowl.

• Add the rice flour a tablespoon at a time and mix well till you finish the whole lot.
• In a pan heat a tablespoon of ghee and roast the coconut till golden colour. Add this roasted coconut with the ghee into the batter; Mix well.
• Add 1/4- 1/2 cup of water to make the batter little runny (dosa batter consistency) to pour easily.
• Allow this batter to ferment about an hour till small bubbles appear on top.

• Heat the Kuzhi Paniyaram pan and add half a teaspoon of oil on each well.
• Pour a teaspoon of batter/ fill till the top and fry them on low flam till brown colour by covering with a lid.
• After sometime turn the side of the paniyaram and cook the other side too till brown colour.

• If you want soft paniyaram do not allow them to fry till deep brown colour cook only golden brown colour.
• This paniyaram can be made in bigger size by directly dropping a small ladle full of batter on a hot oil. Flip the paniyaram using a spoon once the bottom side cooks and fry the the other side too till brown colour. 
• If you cook till light brown colour, you will get more jack fruit flavour. But it spoils fast.
• If you are planning to keep for loner period fry them till brown colour.
• Drain the excess oil using paper towel and store in air tight container.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

Read More »

Chakka Varatti/ Jackfruit Preserve/ Jackfruit Jam

       Jack fruit preserve is made from ripe jack fruits. Generally this preserve is prepared when jack fruits are in season and used when they are not in season. Best way to preserve the jack fruit as a paste form for later use.This Jack fruit preserve is used generally to make Jackfruit Pradhaman, Jack fruit Paniyaram/ Kulipaniyaram/ Neyyappam/ Appam/ Unniyappam, Jack fruit Ada/ Ilai Ada..etc.

       It is a finger licking preparation when i prepared this i finished almost by eating as such at the time of preparation itself. I followed easy pressure cooker method and cooking further in the same vessel. Generally it is prepared in a heavy bottom vessel called 'Uruli'. I did not find any difference by making it in pressure cooker. I have prepared this within 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

Jack fruit- 25 pieces (I used thick fleshed medium sized pieces. Use 50 nos if the flesh is thin)
Jaggery- 1 cup
Water- 1/2 cup+1/2 cup
Cardamom, powdered- 4 cloves
Cloves, powdered- 3
Dry ginger/ Chukku, powdered- 1 teaspoon
Ghee- 1/2 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the Jack fruit and take the edible carpels and remove the seeds from that.
• Pressure cook the Jack fruit with half a cup of water till three whistles on medium flame.

• In a pan add the grated jaggery and water and allow to dissolve and make  a syrupy string consistency; Set aside. (If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form a string while dropping from spoon. Otherwise you can check by dropping some syrup inside water if  you can able to make ball out of it)

• Once the pressure releases mash the fruits with masher or backside of a ladle as a paste.
• Keep the pressure cooker on top of stove and allow to evaporate the water by stirring.
• Once the water content almost evaporates add the jaggery syrup by staining through a sieve to collect dirt's from the syrup.

• Allow to cook and reduce by constant stirring to get a jam like consistency.
• When the water content almost evaporates add ghee, cardamom, cloves, dry ginger powders and stir well.

• Cook till the water content totally evaporates and gets the flavour of the spices added.
• Allow to cool and refrigerate till you use.
• Can be stored for months in refrigerator can be used when jack fruit is not in season.

Checkout my Jack Fruit Recipes using Chakka Varatti:
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

Read More »

Nellikkai Oorugai/ Gooseberry Pickle/ Amla Pickle (Andhra Style)

       Gooseberry pickle is one of the tastiest pickle. I love gooseberry pickle a lot in my childhood. Even now i like a lot. I have prepared this pickle in a easy way Andhra style. I like to prepare pickles in Andra style because it is easy to make and tasty as well and with more gravy.

       I like the colour of the pickle and also the taste. It is really a mouth watering Pickle. Perfect with curd rice, plain rice or with Rotis. I Like the crunchiness of the gooseberry in this pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

Gooseberry- 20-25 large
Mustard seeds- 1/4 cup
Fenugreek / Methi seeds- 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1/2 cup (for less heat and more colour use Kashmiri chilli powder. I used half red chilli powder and half Kashmiri chilli powder)
Salt- 1/2 cup
Asafetida/Hing powder- 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Garlic pods- 20 cloves (optional)
Sesame oil/ Gingelly oil- 1/2 cup

PROCEDURE:

• If you are using oil from already opened bottle heat the oil and bring the oil to room temperature and use for this pickle. If it is new bottle use it as such.
• Dry roast the fenugreek seeds till light brown colour appears and remove from pan. Do not roast till dark brown as it gives the pickle a bitter taste.

• Add mustard seeds in the same pan and roast for a minute(just to get the heat. You can check by touching the seeds) till the shine of mustard leaves and gets the dull black colour.
• In a blender add both (Fenugreek seeds and Mustard seeds) together and make as fine powder.

• In that same jar add turmeric powder and red chilli powder with salt; give a pulse to just combine uniformly to get the 'Pickle Powder'.

• In idli steamer plate spread the gooseberry in a single layer and steam cook the gooseberry for 5 minutes.

• Do not over cook them. Gooseberry should be slightly crunchy if you taste it. Should not get cracks on flesh while cooking that means over cooked.
• You can cook them in water too. Steaming method retain nutrients inside.
• Cut the gooseberry into 4-5 pieces and remove the seeds. Add garlic with them.

• In a jar add some gooseberry  then add a tablespoon of the pickle powder, then oil. Likewise add the whole lot till finishes.

• Add remaining oil on top of the pickle and close tightly and shake lightly.
• Use it after 3 days.

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