Special Butter Chakklis

I am an ardent lover of chakklis. My mother used to make the ultimate Chakklis when I was a small boy. She used to extract coconut milk, mix roasted, soaked, sun dried urad daal flour and ground rice paste in proper proportions, knead the dough with home made fresh butter, add some sesame seeds and right amount of salt and press the Chakklis through the wooden hand held device with star shaped brass mould to perfect round shapes of equal size.

We get so called commercially made butter chakklis but mostly they make them with margarine and not pure butter. Close enough to home made Chakklis are the Mini Butter Chakklis marketed by Madhu Bazar, Mangalore. These are tasty and convincing but the price is too high at Rs.60/- for 250Gms.

Some years ago, there was an woman making Holige and Chakkli near Vishal Nursing Home in Bhagavathi Nagar. She closed business and moved to Bangalore. Another place was a shop in Mannagudda where we used to get good quality Chakklis but sometimes the Chakklis are too salty or too much chilli powder is used in them.

The best Chakkli award in recent times definitely goes to Saraswathiamma's Special Butter Chakklis. These are just like my mother used to make or even better than them. A slight hint of chilli powder and the roasted sesame seeds add to the flavour. They break like Gujarati Gathias and just melt in your mouth as you relish them. Each Chakkli is perfectly crafted and weighs exactly 25Gm. They come in a pack of 25. Price on asking, as the commodity prices fluctuate in the market. However, price is very reasonable. I sometimes wonder if Saraswathiamma used to do goldsmithy and craft bangles. Simply out of this world chakklis!

Saraswathiamma is from an orthodox Jain family and is settled in Surathkal. When I asked Saraswathiamma why she has kept the price for such wonderful Chakklis so low, she smiles and says she has not much ambition in life and she wants some reward for her efforts. She also wants to share her goodies like Chakklis, Menasina Gatti, Pulittha Uppad, Kukkuda Ketthe Uppad and Kukkuda Kochchu uppad with those who like Jain specialties. Pickles and allied products are made seasonally. She doesn't supply these chakklis to Bakeries or sweet shops. They are made to order and she needs at least 3 days' notice to prepare them. She charges extra if the chakklis are to be delivered home within a reasonable distance in Mangalore city.

For orders, contact Saraswathiamma's daughter Manjula: Mobile No. 8951705656.