Chakka Varatti Cheesecake

Goodness, this cheesecake.

I’ve had all kinds of cheesecakes. the hefty New York ones, the no-bake mango ones, the blueberry topped ones, the dulce de leche ones, the marbled ones, the doused-in-sauce ones. But I’m here to tell you now that really none compare with this one made with chakka varatti or jackfruit jam. Rich with a mysterious buttery caramel-like flavor nobody, I promise, nobody, not even the most seasoned jackfruit-eater or the most recalcitrant jackfruit-smell-hater will ever be able to trace back to those green beasts that hug the trunks of trees in Tamil Nadu all through the summer. Soft and pudding-like when warm, intense and firm when chilled, this is a cheesecake like none you’ve ever had, nor will ever.

I confess, never in a million years would I have ever guessed that anything jack-fruit would go so well with cheesecake, but I’ve learned some lessons this year well beyond the ones my father first taught me: when to cut a jackfruit from a tree, how to salvage almost-spoiling arils into a dulce de leche-like jam, how to keep the jackfruit jam a jam not a halva, and now how to transform your average boring old cheesecake into something quite extraordinary.

If you’ve ever worried that buying a whole jackfruit would be just too much because the kids won’t eat it and the husband doesn’t like it or the fridge hasn’t enough space, and what-will-I-do-with-all-that-fruit? and on and on–perish the doubts. Buy that jackfruit, even when it’s over-ripe. Make this jam. Then, if you’ve managed to resist eating it all spoon-by-delectable-spoonful, licking the jar clean of its very last streaks, then make this cheesecake.

As though the intense sweetness of a good, ripe jackfruit weren’t enough, there’s jaggery in the jam which adds all sorts of complexity, and then pinches of cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, and ginger. These become hints and teases in the cheesecake itself, suggesting everything, overpowering nothing.

Not wanting to risk getting cracks on the cheesecake as it cooled, I went full-hog and baked this in a water bath, using a springform pan that had been covered with thick sheets of foil below to keep the water from seeping into the bottom of the cheesecake and ruining the crust.

Note that I’ve used digestive biscuits in place of graham cracker crumbs because that’s our closest local approximation. They work decently enough, but if you have access to the Nabisco stuff, use that. It makes for a crisper crust.

I was saving what jam I had left after this for alfajores, so I didn’t do a glaze, but a few spoons of jackfruit jam warmed with a little water and some ghee or butter perhaps, the whole thing beaten into a smooth, pourable sauce, would do well on top of this beauty.

I used a few toasted and chopped nuts on top instead, and a good fresh grating of nutmeg, not to forget the memory of the halvas that really are this cheesecake’s antecedents or, better, ancestors. But also a wee bit of Maldon sea salt to complement the caramel tones, just like on a good dulce de leche cake.

We sent three slices to neighbors upstairs, and devoured the rest ourselves. In a day and a half. Shamelessly. That’ll take a month to walk off, but gosh I have no regrets!

Chakka Varatti Cheesecake

Move over dulce de leche, enter the inimitable chakka varatti or jackfruit jam. With its unique sweetness deepened by rich jaggery notes, this creamy jam stands up to the best dulce de leches and makes for a desi cheesecake like absolutely no other. You can follow the same recipe and use dulce de leche instead of chakka varatti, but if you live anywhere where jackfruits grow in summers, don’t make that substitution. Make the chakka varatti and then fold it into a cheesecake. You can thank me later. This recipe is adapted but significantly modified from Shinee's beautiful Dulce de leche Cheesecake, which you can find here.

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Ingredients

  

For the crust

• 15 digestive biscuits
• ¼ cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For the cheesecake filling:

• 6-700 g cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 jar chakkavaratti or jackfruit jam, or about 2 cups
• ½ cup sour cream or thick, hung curd
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs

To finish and dress the cheesecake

• Sliced almonds
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Maldon sea salt flakes

Instructions

 

Prepare the pan:

• Layer 2 large heavy-duty foil pieces criss-cross over one-another, and put a 9-inch springform pan in the middle. Fold the foil over the sides of the springform pan. Seal well – this is going to sit and bake in a water bath, so there can be no holes or weak points!

Prepare the crust:

• Pulse the digestive biscuits in a mixie jar until fine. Add the sugar and then the melted butter; pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened.
• Press this into the base of the 9-inch springform pan, working at the bottom and then up the sides of the pan. Don’t worry if the biscuit crumb doesn’t reach all the way up each side; a little roughness here adds to the look of the finished cake. Refrigerate to harden while you prepare the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
• Fill a roasting pan or other tray with water and set this in the middle rack of the oven—you will later place the cheesecake in its springform pan into this water bath, so make sure the tray is large enough to accommodate it. This extra moisture helps the cheesecake bake evenly and keeps it from forming cracks as it cools. But if this seems a lot of hassle, you can skip this and bake the cheesecake as any other straight in the oven, too.

Prepare the filling:

• In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy.
• Add the sugar, the chakka varatti (or dulce de leche), thick curd or sour cream, vanilla essence and salt. Beat the mixture until smooth, and all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition on medium speed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared crust.

Bake the cheesecake:

• Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour, in the water bath or directly in the oven as you choose, or until the edges of the cheesecake feel set. It’s ok if the center is still a touch wobbly, but only a touch.
• Turn off the oven heat and let the cheesecake cool in the oven slowly.
• Remove from the oven after there’s no longer any heat there, and cool completely on a countertop. Then run a knife around the sides of the cheesecake to loosen slightly and keep the sides from pulling as the cake cools. This also will prevent cracks from forming.
• Cover with a plate and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least an hour, or preferably overnight.
• When you are ready to serve (or store in freezer for longer), release from the springform pan. Lift the cake out.

To finish

• Sprinkle the toasted nuts over top, and grate nutmeg directly over the surface of the cheesecake.
• Sprinkle the Maldon sea salt over the top.

Notes

1. This cheesecake can be made a day or two ahead of when it’s needed, and stored in the refrigerator.
2. It also keeps well, frozen, for longer. Return it to the fridge to thaw and serve when it’s soft. Make sure you finish the cake only when you’re ready to serve.
3. Here’s a recipe for making your own vanilla essence at home!