Chakka Appam is a traditional sweet dish (snack or dessert) from Kerala (steamed Jackfruit cake). In Malayalam, “Chakka” means jackfruit, and “appam” refers to a steamed or baked cake. This dish beautifully blends the tropical sweetness of ripe jackfruit, the earthiness of rice flour, and the rich flavors of cardamom, jaggery and coconut.
Ready to eat Chakka Appam.
For me, Chakka Appam steamed in banana leaves, is a nostalgic dish, specially prepared for me by mother earlier and now my wife - I am very fond of this dish - a real Kerala Heritage dish!
Chakka Appam is served hot or cold with tea/coffee, or with ‘Chilli-Coconut Oil’ mix or Coconut oil alone.
Chakka Appam Recipe
Ingredients: The simplicity of Chakka Appam lies in its minimalism and use of natural ingredients:
- Ripe jackfruit (chakka) – 1 cup (deseeded & chopped)
- Jaggery – ½ to ¾ cup (adjust to taste)
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Grated coconut – ½ cup
- Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
- A pinch of salt
How to prepare:
- Cook the jackfruit pieces with a little water until soft (stir properly). Once cooled, blend into a smooth paste—jackfruit puree is ready!
- Heat jaggery with a bit of water until it dissolves; strain to remove impurities.
- In a bowl, combine jackfruit puree, jaggery syrup, rice flour, grated coconut, cardamom, and salt; mix into a thick, smooth batter (thicker than idli batter) - adjust consistency with a little water/rice powder if needed.
- Grease the banana leaf (the banana leaves not only act as a natural wrapper but also infuse the appam with a unique fragrance).
- Pack the batter in the banana leaf and steam it for 20–25 minutes..
- Chakka Appam is ready; you may slice it or cut it into any shappe.
Steamed Chakka Appam packed in banana leaves.
Benefits of Jackfruit: contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, and dietary fiber.
It is simple to prepare and a very healthy snack! Hope you will try it - surely, you will like it. Have you tasted Chakka Appam at any time? - kindly mention in your comments.
Disclaimer: The list of ingredients and method of preparation have been prepared by my wife, @LathaKN . I am a big zero in cooking.
This post is a member of #KhaanaKhazaana series, initiated by our @AjitThite Ji.
Logo Courtsy: @AjitThite @ShifaAymal and @NareshDarji
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