Chakka Ada- Steamed Jack fruit Rice Cakes

Chakka Ada

Chakka Ada is a traditional tea time snack of Kerala made with jack fruit. It is similar to elada and Kozhukatta. It is steamed rice flour dough with sweet coconut filling and wrapped in banana leaves. But jack fruit makes it flavorful and irresistible. Do you love jack fruit? Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit, and there are several delicious made with jack fruit. To make this ada, cooked jack fruit/ chakka varattiyathu is mixed with rice flour and steamed in banana leaves. It is healthy and aromatic with the fruity flavor from the jack fruit.

Jack fruit is the most versatile of all tropical fruits and is a common fruit in Kerala and South India. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamin c, magnesium, and potassium. It is naturally sweet and tastes like honey. Ripe jack fruit has a distinctively strong fruity fragrance when ripe. You can make chakka ada two ways- either with mashed fresh ripe jack fruit or chakka varatti or jack fruit preserve. Chakka varatti is a popular jack fruit delicacy of Kerala made with fully ripe jack fruit bulbs. Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit, but you can enjoy it year-round if you make Chakka varatti which is jack fruit preserve/jam. Making chakka varatti was a yearly tradition back home in Kerala. Chakka varatti if made in the right consistency, can be stored and used for more than a year, and there are a hundred ways you can use it. I have already shared the recipe so check here. The best place to find fresh jack fruit in the US is specialty markets like Whole Foods or Asian and Indian Stores.

To make the chakka varatti
Chakka Varatti is cooked and simmered in jaggery syrup and ghee. Boil jaggery till it reaches one thread consistency. Chop jack fruit and make it into a puree. Cook the puree on medium flame and stir occasionally. Let it cook completely and thicken. Add ghee and jaggery and cook till it thickens and reduces and comes together like a softball consistency. Let it cool down completely. It will thicken as it cools. Store in an airtight container. For the detailed recipe check this post.

Chakka Ada- Steamed Jack fruit Rice Cakes

Cooking time- 25 minutes
Recipe snack- Breakfast/Snack
Cuisine - Kerala/Indian

Ingredients
Rice Flour- 2 1/4 cups
Chakka varattiyathu/jack fruit jam- 1 cup
Water- 2 cups
salt a pinch
Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
Ghee- 1 tsp
Sugar- 2 tbs
Coconut oil- 2 tsp
Banana leafs- cut into small pieces

Boil half a cup of water. Take chakka varattiyathu in a bowl and pour hot water and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Mix and dissolve it into a paste before adding to the flour.
Boil around 1 1/2 of water along with salt. When it comes to a rolling boil, and add in the coconut oil.
To make the dough
Boil water along with salt and sugar. In a bowl, add rice flour and make a well in the center. When the water comes to a rolling boil, carefully add the water little by little into the flour and mix with a wooden spatula till all the dough comes together. Mix the coconut oil too, cover, and let it rest for a few minutes. When it cools down a bit, knead the dough and make it smooth. You will need a smooth, soft dough. If it feels stiff to add a little more water and knead. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. Portion dough into a large lemon-sized ball. Cover and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix grated coconut, sugar, cardamom powder, and ghee to use as filling.
Take a banana leaf and cut it into small pieces. Grease it with a little oil. Place dough in the center, and with your fingers spread the dough on the leaf. Place spoon fulls of the coconut mixture, and fold the leaf in half. Press the edges of the dough along with the banana leaf. Steam it in a pressure cooker without the weight or in a steamer for around ten minutes. You will be able to lift the banana leaf, and it will come out clean when it is cooked. Allow it to cool down, and serve with tea.