Thursday, March 17, 2016

Chakka Vevichathu

Those who have eaten Chakka Vevichathu, you are now nostalgic with all the fond memories you have had with your cousins, grandparents and parents during this very important Chakka Vevichathu- eating sessions :-) . Don't know about you , but I am. The moment folks back in India, eye that a Chakka is ready , then its a celebration... . Cutting it down from the tree, then separating the "Chakka Chollas", having the "arakku" stuck all over your hands and place. People giving "tips" of applying coconut oil on your hands before touching the chakka chollas so that the arakku doesn't get stuck to your hands...Hmmm... beautiful memories.





At my parents home during lent season its strictly a  no to non-vegetarian food. It is during this time, that my mother comes up with all sorts of interesting combinations and recipes. We are all crazy about chakka . Let me think....hmmmm.... other than the outer skin, every other part of the chakka is used to make a variety of dishes and snacks, With the seeds, its chakkakuru mezhukkuvaratty, chakkakuru vevichathu, then its, chakka cholla upperi, then chakka vevichathu, then kumbalappam, then chakka puttu, I'm sure I must have missed a few. The outer skin, if I'm not mistaken, is given to the cows. So, no part of this jackfruit is ever wasted !!!

This morning when I called my mother, she told me they are having chakka vevichathu and Kadugu Maanga Achar. The moment someone says Kadugu maanga Achaar, I'm sure saliva wells up in all our mouths and takes us back to our mother's kitchens and the hostels in Kerala. That was one dish I used to enjoy while staying in hostels in Kerala.

So here is how you make Chakka vevichathu.

The "chollas" of a small chukka nicely chopped.
Add a little turmeric to it and cook it in 1 cup water covered.
Meanwhile coarsely shredded coconut (1/2), green chillies (2-3), garlic (2-3), shallots (2-3), jeeragam ( 1 tsp).
When steam starts coming, which is roughly about 10 minutes after you started cooking, the chakka would have got cooked.
Add salt.
Add the coarsely ground mixture to the chakka, and give it a cook stir. If there is water remaining, cook till all the water is gone.
Check the salt at this point.
Now time to do some seasoning. In a skillet, add some oil, when its hot enough, add the mustard seeds, let it splutter, some curry leaves, dry red chillies, 1 shallot roughly sliced and sauté. Switch off the flame. Add it over the chukka vevichathu.

Enjoy this chakka hot with some Fish Curry.... and if its lent season then Kadugu Maanga Achar is an excellent substitute . If you have never eaten Chakka Vevichathu. It is VERY IMPORTANT, that you make a trip to Kerala, just to eat this :-) 

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