Chakka (Jackfruit) Pradhaman

It is April now when we Indians will be celebrating the new year day according to Hindu calendar. This year all the four southern states celebrate the new year day in April itself, a rare phenomenon . The new year (Ugadi) festivities of Andhra and Karnataka fall on the same day on 7th of April, followed by Tamil new year on 13th and Vishu on 14th of April this year.

Since the Tamil new yearday and Vishu fall mostly on the same day, we used to celebrate the festivities of both . Vishu is celebrated in Kerala in a unique fashion in homes and temples as well, characterised by the vishukkani . The arrangement of vishukkani used to be managed by the elders (mainly ladies) of the family on the previous night itself. On the day of Vishu, the youngsters and children are conducted to see the vishukkani in their homes – first thing after waking up early in the morning.

Vishukkaniorukkal used to be done in an artistic manner in many houses.The pooja room is arranged neatly with kolam and flowers in front of God’s pictures. Then a traditional vessel used in Kerala, uruli, is filled with grains of rice, accompanied by dhal, green vegetables , coconuts, yellow bananas in bowls and plates and the bunch of the yellow konnaippu , a flower which blossoms during this part of the year. A mirror is placed in between the god’s photos and the kani settings and if possible, some gold chains are hanged in the mirror and a small bowl of rupee coins is placed in front of it. Oil lamps are lit and incense sticks are burnt for a divine atmosphere.

It is believed that It is auspicious to wake up to see the nice things of prosperity and plenty in such an atmosphere on a new year day, so that the whole of that year augurs the good things of life. So everyone observes the vishukkanikaanal, ie:’seeing this beautiful arrangement’, and prostrates before the Gods as the first thing on a new year day. Children are given rupee coins as a small token gift. House maids, the regular vendors of vegetables, paperboys, dhobis and almost whoever from the neighbourhood visits the house on a new year day will be bestowed with the vishukkaineetam, the cash or coin gifted by elders.

There will be pooja and a feast on the later part of the day.The lunch is usually a grand feast, typical three course iyer lunch consisting of rice, veppampu pachadi, which is a compulsory item, followed by curds pachadi, koottu, avial, poriyal, sambar, rasam, appalam, vadai, payasam, buttermilk and pickles.

The payasam is a speciality of kerala cooking , though it is prepared in other states also. There are more payasam varieties other than the usual palpayasam and semia payasam prepared out of milk and sugar. The payasams or pradhamans prepared out of jaggery, coconut milk and fruits like jackfruit, bananas and rice adais require elaborate procedures which are simplified a lot , thanks to the modern cooking gadgets. I think of the jack fruit payasam or chakka pradahaman which has a special flavour of its own without the cardamoms and cashews.I would like to share my limited experience of preparing this item.

Ingredients:

1. Jack fruit pieces- 10.
2. coconut – 1( big) .
3. Jaggery- 2cups.
4. Ghee – 2 tablespoons.
5. Cardamom- 4 or5.
6. Cashews – few (handful) .

Preparation:

1. Cut the jack fruit into convenient size and steam cook for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. In the meanwhile, dissolve the jaggery in 1cup of water and melt it, filter and continue to heat in low fire.
2. Now mash the cooked jack fruit pieces into a paste in a mixer and saute it in 1 spoon of ghee in a thick bottomed vessel, in which the payasam is to be made. Add the liquid jaggery to it and continue to cook it in low flame till both items blend together into a semi solid consistency. Put off the fire.
3. Grate the coconut and extract the milk by adding 1 cup of water in a mixer and keep aside . Add 1and a 1/2 cups of water to the gratings (from which milk has already been extracted) and extract coconut milk again and keep this diluted coconut milk separately.
4. Add the second extract of coconut milk first, stir well , and bring to a boil on low fire. Now turn off the heat and add the first concentrate milk. Note that after adding the first concentrate, the payasam should not be heated.
5. Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan, fry the cashews and cardamom powder and add to the payasam for garnishing.

The jack fruit payasam is ready to be served for the feast.

Note :- Nowadays the preparation of this payasam is made easy due to the availability of jackfruit jam called chakkavaratti in markets in Kerala which can be used in preparing this dish avoiding the first 2 steps.

Have a happy new year.