Typical preparation

The main ingredients of chakka pradhaman are chakka varattiyathu and jaggery

Jaggery

Jaggery is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal whole cane sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is a concentrated product of cane juice without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in color...

. Chakka varattiyathu is made by cooking finely chopped pieces of Chakka Chula (the edible yellow part of jackfruit

Jackfruit

The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...

) with ghee and jaggery (or sugar) at a high temperature until it becomes paste-like. The dish is usually prepared in a traditional vessel called an uruli (a heavy casting of bronze), to withstand the high temperature. Once this paste is ready, it can be kept for a long time without losing its taste. Metallic containers may damage the taste, thus it is usually keep in bharani, which are made of porcelain.

To make the pradhaman, the 'chakka varattiyathu' is mixed with water and additional jaggery. The mixture is boiled at a high temperature so that the jaggery is dissolved in the water. Grated raw coconut is ground with water and the milk is added to this mixture. For garnishing, small pieces of coconut, cashew nut, or currants fried in ghee may be added into it.

The dish is usually served hot. It is made more often in Kerala than in other south Indian states