Kadge Chakko/ Jackfruit Dry Masala Curry (Sukka).

"Kadge Chakko/ Jackfruit Dry Masala Curry (Sukka)" ... chakko is a dish that needs no introduction to any amchi, this is a semi dry medium spicy side dish curry from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine prepare by and large with tender raw jackfruit when in season ... though traditionally this dish is served with dalitoy and rice it tastes equally good with Roti/ Chapati/ Dosa ... Yummilicious .... 

** Kadgi Chakko .. Bas naam hi kaafi hey; yeah, the name itself is enough to make all Amchies go ga ga over this dish when served. This is a traditional seasonal dish that is famous among young and old alike. I have fond memories of relishing this dish in my maternal home often when it was in season as being a part of large family Amma always prepared this dish in bulk. The season falls somewhere between March to July and we would always have cousins dropping over as it collided with holidays. Though I prepare it often as we do get it easily in Mumbai all cleaned and ready to use, I still miss those days especially holidays when we enjoyed it the most. 

** Tender raw jackfruit/ tarni kadgi (in konkani) is used in preparation of Chakko, the inner seeds of which should be very tender and soft. It’s a joy to eat these small white egg like looking seeds. In fact during childhood at the age of say 6 or so amma says that I used to always ask “Kadgi motto di makka” (in konkani) meaning give me the Jackfruit Eggs. Chakko is also served at functions when in season. There are plenty of dishes that can be prepared with raw jackfruit but chakko rules the roost. To bring in the tart taste to the dish you can add ambado (hogplum), bimbul (tree sorrel fruit) when in season or if available and if not just add tamarind while grinding the masala. 

** Here is my recipe for "Kadge Chakko/ Jackfruit Dry Masala Curry (Sukka)" which I learned from my Amma and she made it the best .... 

** Cleaning of the jackfruit be it raw or ripe is always a mess and needs patience and some time and during childhood we never liked this job as it was sticky. However in Thane, where I live surprisingly I found to my relief that on purchasing they did clean it well and give us cutting it to large chunks. All we had to do was cut it with sharp knife into smaller pieces when using the same, truly thankful for this. But then for those of you who need to purchase it with the skin and all, I am sharing below the method and explain to the best of my ability, if still in confusion you can always check out some you tube demo. 

** Remove the outer spiked rough skin of tarni kadgi/ tender raw jackfruit until you get a smooth surface. Always apply oil to your left hand and the knife by which you are going to cut jackfruit so that the rubbery liquid does not stick to the knife and hands. Use newspaper to wipe away the sticky milky rubber-ish liquid that will ooze out while you cut the jackfruit. However do not be disheartened if the knife gets sticky. Just heat it directly on the gas top and rub off with a tissue paper and you knife will come out clean. But please do be careful, and keep hands on the handle far away. Cut the jackfruit further into quarters lengthwise and remove the center thick white sticky portion. Be careful as to retain a fine length of piece as the jackfruit with seeds cling to this and if you chop off core completely the pieces will fall apart. Cut the raw jackfruit into piece of about say 1 inch x 1 inch thick in size. 

** Cooking of raw jackfruit pieces : For this recipe I have used about 6-7 cups of cut jackfruit pieces as shown in the picture. Apply oil all round the inner surface of the pressure cooker, including the inner lid portion. This is a must step to follow to avoid the stickiness of jackfruit from being stuck to the cooker, which makes it that much more difficult and tough to be cleaned later on. Wash and add kadgi/ raw jackfruit pieces into the pressure cooker pan. Add in water, say to about 1/3 level of the ingredients. Do not add excess water as this is a semi dry curry and we need jackfruit to be perfectly crushed.

** Now pressure cook to 2 continuous whistles on medium heat. Remove and keep it aside to let the pressure in the cooker fall on its own. When able to open the lid say in a period of 10-15 minutes, do so and allow the heat to cool say for another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and drain the water if any, do not discard it, you can use it for grinding masala. Now with the help of a weight crush them slightly as shown in the picture. Prepare and keep this ready aside while we prepare the ground masala. 

** For masala to be ground : Heat a small pan with 1 tblsp of oil (tel/ tela), add 1 tblsp of urad dal (black gram dal without skin) and fry till colour changes slightly, then add 2 tsp of coriander seeds (kothambari/ dhania) and continue frying together till light brown, add 4-5 kashmiri red chillies (kumte mirsanga/ byadgi mirchi) and further fry for another few minutes, say 1-2 minutes only. Remove and let cool a bit and then grind to a semi- fine paste with 1 heaped cup of freshly grated coconut (soyi/ nariyal) along with a marble sized piece of tamarind (chainchama/ imly). You can use the strained jackfruit cooked water for grinding the masala if available, which is what I do. (Remember to not grind the masala to a very fine paste, it should be slightly coarse).

** For preparing the chakko curry :  Heat 2 tblsp of oil (tel/ tela) in a thick bottomed kadai, add in the ground masala and a small piece of jaggery (gud/ goda) (Jaggery is optional, you can add if you like, I do not add it as I prefer chakko on spicier side). Cook on low heat till bubbles appear. Add water if necessary to make it like a very thick gravy (It thickens out once you add in the jackfruit pieces so do not worry).

** Note : You can add ¼ tsp of methi (fenugreek) seeds while frying urad dal and coriander seeds for the masala if desired as in some place this method of including methi is followed. However I do not add them as my Amma never added them and I just follow her recipe.  Also addition of jaggery/ goda/ gud is also optional as mentioned above, in my home we do not like the sweet tinge so I do not, its individual choice. 

** When the masala is thoroughly boiled add in the prepared and kept cooked mashed raw jackfruit, salt (namak/ meeta) to taste and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat by stirring and mixing often to avoid it getting burnt or stuck to the bottom of the kadai. You should cook this well for say about 10-15 minutes. In between if you find that the masala is too dry, or if the jackfruit pieces are getting stuck to kadai, then add some water. Remember this is a dry curry so be careful with addition of water. 

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka : Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil (nariyal tel/ narlel tela) in a small pan, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds (sasam/ rai), when it begins to crackle add 8-10 fresh curry leaves (kadipatta/ karbevu) and fry a bit. Now pour this hot seasoning over the cooking curry and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from fire and keep it aside covered and let rest for about 10-15 minutes. This helps the flavors to get well infused into the curry and make it that much more tastier. 

** "Kadge Chakko/ Jackfruit Dry Masala Curry (Sukka)" is done and ready to be served. Traditionally it is served hot topped with a teaspoon of coconut oil, but you may serve it as it is too, which is what I do, as I try avoiding too much oil. Tastes best served as side dish with Dalitoy (spiced tuvar dal) and sheetHa (steamed rice) along with a papad, pickle or any other upkari/ bhaji during meals which is what most of us from southern parts of India especially Mangalore do. You can also serve it with roti/ chapati if desired as it tastes equally good with the same. Try out this simple yet tasty side dish when raw jackfruit is in season and enjoy with your family and friends. 

** There are many more "Chakko" and other recipes shared in the Blog, which you can browse through in leisure and try them out too. They are all tried and tested in my own kitchen and taste excellent. Remember home cooked food is one the best gift you can give to your family for a healthy lifestyle.