Chakka puzhukku is a traditional Kerala recipe that is as the name suggests prepared during the jackfruit season. It is prepared from the mature but not ripened jackfruit bulbs. A very tasty and healthy dish that was/is had as a breakfast dish by the Keralities. You can have it as a tea time snack also. If you have any remaining then you can even store it in the fridge and next day steam it in the idili steamer and serve warm or hot.
Puzhukku is also prepared from other tubers like Kachil, tapioca, colcasia tubers and yam by boiling and cooking them in water. Puzhukku can be had either as such or with any curry of your choice usually fish is the ingredient along with the puzhukku.
I usually prefer to have Chakka puzhukku along with hot steaming tea/coffee. In the preparation of the dish usually shallots /garlic or both are added depending on personal taste. Since I do not like the shallots to be added for this preparation I have not added them. The taste of the chakka puzukku varies from fruit to fruit.
Ingredients
You need
- Jackfruit bulbs (Unripe but mature) – 15 nos
- 5 to 7 jackfruit seeds cut into pieces
- Shallots – 3 to 4 nos (Optional; I have not used)
- 3 to 5 Curry leaves
- 1 tspn turmeric powder
- ½ cup Grated coconut
- 5 to 6 green chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
- ½ tspn Cumin seeds
- 4 tbspn coconut oil
Method
Wash and deseed the bulb and cut it into small cubes. Remove the brown skin of the seeds cut into pieces.
Add both the bulbs and seeds along with water and salt into a pressure cooker and cook until done. (You can even cook it in a kadai/pan).
While the pressure cooking is in progress coarsely grind grated coconut, turmeric, cumin seeds, green chillies and 2 sprig curry leaves and keep aside. If you are using shallots then crush them with a pestle and mortar and keep aside.
Once the bulbs are cooked mash them lightly with a spatula. Now add the coarsely ground coconut and other ingredients along with the crushed shallots if you are using them into the cooked bulbs.
And mix well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the raw flavour of the coconut. Once done add fresh coconut oil
and rest of the curry leaves and mix well.
Your Chakka puzhukku is ready to be served.
