The XRP Ledger has entered a new phase of innovation as Ripple integrates to bring together two of the most powerful technology trends shaping the global economy. Long known for its speed, low transaction costs, and enterprise-grade reliability, the Ledger is now expanding beyond payments to data-driven and automated financial applications. By merging AI with decentralized settlement, Ripple is positioning the Ledger to support smarter workflows and more efficient liquidity management.
How Ripple Is Embedding Intelligence Into On-Chain Systems
An analyst known as SMQKE on X has shared a case study of an AI implementation in the cross-border payment, in which Ripple has successfully combined blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of global transactions. As a leading provider of real-time cross-border payment solutions, Ripple leverages the XRP Ledger, a decentralized blockchain that enables real-time cross-border settlement.
What sets this integration apart is the use of AI to optimize transaction flows and routing decisions in real time. Ripple AI-powered systems continuously process large volumes of payment data in real time, allowing financial institutions to make dynamic decisions on the most effective payment paths.
BlackRock is now using Ripple’s RLUSD as collateral, which is extremely bullish for XRP. JackTheRippler revealed that the altcoin is being positioned as the future infrastructure, which is being built with the potential to hit over $10,000 per coin. With the REAL token launching on January 26th, trillions in global capital could flood into the XRP Ledger. According to JackTheRippler, some projections suggest up to $800 billion could flow into the REAL token on XRP Ledger, potentially sparking a powerful supply shock.
Why The Comeback Feels Different This Time
The rise of the phoenix XRP is here. Crypto analyst Xfinancebull highlighted that Caroline Pham isn’t just another name in crypto. Pham played a role in pushing utility regulation into the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), helping shift policy toward real-world use cases. Currently, she is at MoonPlay and posting about the phoenix on X.
Years ago, Brad Garlinghouse drew that same phoenix, and it became one of the biggest pieces of XRP lore. While the market chased narratives, Ripple has been building institutional-grade crypto products for years. Meanwhile, the token, RLUSD, and the XRP Ledger are now live operating, and recognized among the most compliant blockchain assets in the crypto world.
This is the same asset that survived the SEC’s biggest regulatory battles in crypto history, and is now on the other side with legal clarity, growing integration, and increasing relevance to government infrastructure in its favor. Xfinancebull concluded that Caroline has helped clear the regulatory path, Brad and Ripple built what actually runs on that path, and they have been aligning all along, which is how the real adoption happens.
The Shiba Inu price crashed to as low as $0.000007683 yesterday, sparking bearish sentiment towards the meme coin. This crash came on the back of a transfer of billions of SHIB tokens, which raised concerns of a potential sell-off by the whale in question.
Why The Shiba Inu Price Crashed
The Shiba Inu price crashed amid significant selling pressure, with a SHIB whale sending billions of tokens to Robinhood, likely to offload these tokens. Arkham data shows that the whale (0x2d0…9f7bB) first sent 210.365 billion SHIB tokens, worth $1.63 million, to the crypto exchange. These tokens represented about 97% of the whale’s SHIB holdings.
Further data from Arkham shows that the SHIB whale sent an additional 1.52 billion tokens to Robinhood and 7 billion tokens to liquidity provider B2C2 Group, which could be an OTC sale. The Shiba Inu price has notably crashed by over 7% in the last week, and it suffered its worst drop during this period yesterday amid the whale’s transfers. The whale now holds only 5.86 billion SHIB, worth $46,790.
The Shiba Inu price also crashed due to the sell-off in the broader crypto market, led by Bitcoin. BC dropped to as low as $87,000 yesterday amid concerns over trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe stemming from the Greenland-linked Trump tariffs. However, the market recovered towards the end of the day as Trump announced that he had canceled the proposed tariffs, having reached a Greenland deal with NATO.
Despite the recent Shiba Inu price crash, the meme coin is still up over 15% year-to-date (YTD) and ranks among the best-performing crypto assets this year. However, SHIb is still far off from its current all-time high (ATH) of $0.00008845.
Exchange Netflows For SHIB Remains Mixed
SHIB’s exchange netflows have remained mixed, indicating there is no clear accumulation pattern for the meme coin at the moment. CryptoQuant data shows that today’s net flows are negative, totaling just over 7 billion Shiba Inu tokens, suggesting that more coins are flowing into exchanges than out.
However, the total exchanges’ netflows yesterday were positive, at 1.6 billion tokens, indicating more tokens leaving exchanges, which is bullish for the Shiba Inu price as it hints at accumulation from whales. On January 16, SHIB’s netflows were also positive, totaling around 115 billion tokens. However, the positive netflows on that day were overshadowed by the negative flows of 214 billion SHIB recorded on January 20.
Crypto traders still remain bullish on the Shiba Inu price as CoinGlass data shows the long/short ratio is currently above 1. Derivatives trading volume has also jumped by over 20% while the open interest is up almost 3%.
At the time of writing, the Shiba Inu price is trading at around $0.000007978, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Rumors of a large-scale XRP purchase by the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, have captured the attention of the crypto world this week. Screenshots circulating on X suggest that the global investment company had invested over a billion dollars in the altcoin, sparking both bullish excitement and skepticism across the crypto community.
BlackRock’s Rumored $1.85 Billion XRP Bet
The frenzy began when several popular crypto influencers, including The Crypto Bull, shared a post and portfolio screenshot claiming that BlackRock had added $1.85 billion worth of XRP to its already substantial crypto holdings. Given BlackRock’s significant influence in the crypto space, the idea that the asset manager had invested in XRP seemed like a major signal for institutional adoption of the cryptocurrency.
The rumors triggered a wave of speculation about the token, with some market participants viewing the alleged purchase as extremely bullish. A closer examination of BlackRock’s actual portfolio, however, shows that the reports were unfounded and lacked any evidence to support them.
Data from Arkham Intelligence, a blockchain analytics company, revealed that, contrary to expectations, BlackRock holds just 5.267 XRP, valued at just $10.32—a far cry from the acclaimed $1.85 billion in holdings. The data also showed that the asset manager held the majority of its holdings in Bitcoin and Ethereum. BlackRock’s total crypto portfolio is estimated at $82.1 billion, including 784,424 BTC valued at $71.31 billion, 3.494 million ETH worth approximately $10.8 billion, and other assets.
Investigations also revealed that the original screenshots, which showed BlackRock owning 911.76 million XRP, had been edited to exaggerate the asset manager’s holdings. This misrepresentation created a temporary buzz, but did not reflect any real investment in the altcoin by the firm.
Despite the false alarm, the incident highlights how quickly misinformation can spread in the crypto space, especially when shared by crypto influencers with thousands of followers. The Crypto Bull’s post drew a variety of reactions from the community. Some questioned why XRP’s price had not moved if the reports were accurate, while others remained skeptical, and a few outrightly dismissed the claims.
Rise Of Misinformation In The Crypto Space
False rumors have become a recurrent theme in the crypto world, and the latest incident with XRP and BlackRock is just one example. This is alson’t the first time false claims have been made about the token. Earlier this month, rumours of a potential Ripple partnership with Amazon spread across the community, sparking speculation about how such a collaboration could positively impact XRP’s price.
Similarly, overly optimistic price forecasts can also contribute to misinformation. Some analysts have predicted that XRP could surge to $50,000, fueling unrealistic expectations for investors. In a market predominantly driven by speculation and volatility, it’s important for investors to verify sources and avoid making decisions based on unproven claims.
Crypto pundit Wimar has claimed that crypto exchanges are manipulating the Bitcoin price, causing it to crash from its 2026 high. This comes amid recent developments with the Trump tariffs, which have caused the flagship crypto to also decline.
Crypto Pundit Accuses Crypto Exchanges Of Manipulating Bitcoin Price
In an X post, Wimar asserted that crypto exchanges are manipulating the Bitcoin price. He noted how BTC just dumped from $95,500 to $91,900 with no news. The pundit claimed it is the same script, over and over again, as the flagship crypto rose from $89,000 to $95,000 and has now fallen to $91,000, just as it did when it rose from $85,000 to $88,000 and then fell to $84,000.
Wimar claimed that this is a liquidity hunt, alluding to the flows to prove that the Bitcoin price is manipulated. He noted that within minutes, Wintermute, Binance, Coinbase, and ETF-linked wallets were all active simultaneously. Large blocks were said to have moved from exchange to exchange, with huge market buys hitting thin books, and then, just as fast, these tokens were dumped.
The crypto pundit also highlighted Arkham data, noting that the flows tell the real story. Wimar claimed that coins move into exchanges right after the pump, which he stated is not a coincidence. The pundit further remarked that these crypto exchanges wait for a setup where liquidity is low, leverage is high, and funding is stretched.
Wimar asserted that these crypto exchanges run the same play every time, where they first pump the Bitcoin price fast on thin books to trigger FOMO and then liquidate shorts. Retail investors then see green candles and open long positions because the price action appears to be a breakout, but they fall into the trap, according to the pundit.
Wimar stated that once enough people are stuck in leverage, the coins hit crypto exchanges and selling starts, leading to a Bitcoin price crash. The pundit accused these exchanges of dumping into the demand they just created, forcing fresh longs to get liquidated and farming both long and short traders with no news.
BTC’s Current Price Action Isn’t Based On Headlines
Wimar doubled down on his accusation of crypto exchanges being responsible for the Bitcoin price crash, stating that BTC doesn’t move like this because of headlines. He claimed that it moves like because leverage piles up, and someone decides it is “payday.” As such, the pundit suggested that the Trump tariffs fears aren’t what is sparking this recent market crash.
Trump had announced fresh tariffs on France, the U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Norway over the weekend. The Bitcoin price had remained unchanged following the announcement, but began to crash following reports that the European Union (EU) was considering retaliatory tariffs.
At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $90,900, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Last week at CES, Lego introduced its new Smart Play system, with a tech-packed Smart Brick that can recognize and interact with sets and minifigures. It was unexpected and delightful to see Lego come up with a way to modernize its bricks without the need for apps, screens or AI.
So I was a little surprised this week when the Lego Education group announced its latest initiative is the Computer Science and AI Learning Solution. After all, generative AI feels like the antithesis of Lego’s creative values. But Andrew Silwinski, Lego Education’s head of product experience, was quick to defend Lego’s approach, noting that being fluent in the tools behind AI is not about generating sloppy images or music and more about expanding what it means by teaching computer science.
“I think most people should probably know that we started working on this before ChatGPT [got big],” Silwinski told Engadget earlier this week. “Some of the ideas that underline AI are really powerful foundational ideas, regardless of the current frontier model that's out this week. Helping children understand probability and statistics, data quality, algorithmic bias, sensors, machine perception. These are really foundational core ideas that go back to the 1970s.”
To that end, Lego Education designed courses for grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 that incorporate Lego bricks, additional hardware and lessons tailored to introducing the fundamentals of AI as an extension of existing computer science education. The kits are designed for four students to work together, with teacher oversight. Much of this all comes from learnings Lego found in a study it commissioned showing that teachers often find they don’t have the right resources to teach these subjects. The study showed that half of teachers globally say “current resources leave students bored” while nearly half say “computer science isn’t relatable and doesn’t connect to students’ interests or day to day.” Given kids’ familiarity with Lego and the multiple decades of experience Lego Education has in putting courses like this together, it seems like a logical step to push in this direction.
In Lego’s materials about the new courses, AI is far from the only subject covered. Coding, looping code, triggering events and sequences, if/then conditionals and more are all on display through the combination of Lego-built models and other hardware to motorize it. It feels more like a computer science course that also introduces concepts of AI rather than something with an end goal of having kids build a chatbot.
In fact, Lego set up a number of “red lines” in terms of how it would introduce AI. “No data can ever go across the internet to us or any other third party,” Silwinski said. “And that's a really hard bar if you know anything about AI.” So instead of going to the cloud, everything had to be able to do local inference on, as Silwinski said, “the 10-year-old Chromebooks you’ll see in classrooms.” He added that “kids can train their own machine learning models, and all of that is happening locally in the classroom, and none of that data ever leaves the student's device.”
Lego also says that its lessons never anthropomorphize AI, one of the things that is so common in consumer-facing AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and many more. “One of the things we're seeing a lot of with generative AI tools is children have a tendency to see them as somehow human or almost magical. A lot of it's because of the conversational interface, it abstracts all the mechanics away from the child.”
Lego also recognized that it had to build a course that’ll work regardless of a teacher’s fluency in such subjects. So a big part of developing the course was making sure that teachers had the tools they needed to be on top of whatever lessons they’re working on. “When we design and we test the products, we're not the ones testing in the classroom,” Silwinski said. “We give it to a teacher and we provide all of the lesson materials, all of the training, all of the notes, all the presentation materials, everything that they need to be able to teach the lesson.” Lego also took into account the fact that some schools might introduce its students to these things starting in Kindergarten, whereas others might skip to the grade 3-5 or 6-8 sets. To alleviate any bumps in the courses for students or teachers, Lego Education works with school districts and individual schools to make sure there’s an on-ramp for those starting from different places in their fluency.
While the idea of “teaching AI” seemed out of character for Lego initially, the approach it’s taking here actually reminds me a bit of Smart Play. With Smart Play, the technology is essentially invisible — kids can just open up a set, start building, and get all the benefits of the new system without having to hook up to an app or a screen. In the same vein, Silwinski said that a lot of the work you can do with the Computer Science and AI kit doesn’t need a screen, particularly the lessons designed for younger kids. And the sets themselves have a mode that acts similar to a mesh, where you connect numerous motors and sensors together to build “incredibly complex interactions and behaviors” without even needing a computer.
For educators interested in checking out this latest course, Lego has single kits up for pre-order starting at $339.95; they’ll start shipping in April. That’s the pricing for the K-2 sets, the 3-5 and 6-8 sets are $429.95 and $529.95, respectively. A single kit covers four students. Lego is also selling bundles with six kits, and school districts can also request a quote for bigger orders.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/legos-latest-educational-kit-seeks-to-teach-ai-as-part-of-computer-science-not-to-build-a-chatbot-184636741.html?src=rss
At large-scale events like World Cup matches, a Super Bowl or the LA 2028 Olympics, viewers around the world will turn their attention to the athletes. At these types of large-scale events, often categorized as National Special Security Events (NSSEs), a tightly choreographed collaboration of federal, state and local agencies is required to manage logistics, intelligence and operational response. The spotlight may be on the athletes and fans, but the unsung work happens behind the scenes, where security teams and support personnel operate before, during and after each event to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. While much of that focus is outward, securing perimeters, screening crowds and scanning for external threats, some of the most significant risks can come from inside the event itself.
In an era of multi-dimensional threats, the line between external adversaries and internal vulnerabilities has grown increasingly blurred. Contractors, vendors, temporary staff and employees are vital to the success of major events; however, they also introduce complex risk considerations. Managing those risks requires more than background checks and credentialing; it calls for investigative awareness rooted in federal risk management frameworks and duty-of-care principles. Agencies and partners must align with established standards such as the National Insider Threat Task Force (NITTF) guidelines and the Department of Homeland Security’s National Infrastructure Protection Plan, emphasizing collaboration, transparency and early intervention. By fostering information-sharing and cross-functional coordination, investigative teams can recognize behavioral and contextual warning signs in ways that strengthen both security and trust.
The inside threats that don’t make headlines
When we talk about insider threats in the context of NSSEs, many think of espionage or deliberate sabotage. But the reality is often more subtle, and therefore more dangerous.
Consider this real-world example: A contracted former employee of the San Jose Earthquakes’ home stadium admitted to logging into the concession vendor’s administrative system and deleting menus and payment selections. His unauthorized access, triggered from home after his termination, interrupted operations on opening day and resulted in more than $268,000 in losses.
These kinds of incidents highlight a fundamental truth: Insider risk isn’t just about malicious intent; it’s about exposure. And exposure multiplies with scale. When thousands of people have physical or digital access to a high-profile venue, especially when celebrities, politicians and global audiences are involved, the likelihood of insider-related incidents grows exponentially.
Investigations as the backbone of event security
At their core, investigations are about collecting and connecting the dots between people, data and threats. For NSSEs, this investigative function becomes the connective tissue that binds disparate security disciplines together.
Consider the investigation of a potential insider risk within a major international summit.
A social media monitoring team flags an insider — in this case, a contractor — expressing frustration about working conditions.
The venue security team reports a missing equipment case from the same contractor’s storage area.
A public records check reveals the individual was previously charged with theft.
Individually, none of these signals confirms a threat. But when unified under a connected investigative workflow, the risk becomes clearer and more actionable. This is the type of cross-functional insight that defines modern event protection. It’s not about reacting to threats; it’s about uncovering the threads before they unravel.
Large-scale events generate intelligence at an unprecedented scale: everything from credentialing data to behavioral reports, cybersecurity logs and social media feeds. Yet these systems rarely connect to and communicate with one another. The result is fragmented visibility and slow investigative response.
For example:
A fusion center monitoring social media identifies a user threatening to “disrupt the opening ceremony.”
A local police investigation logs a similar username associated with a harassment complaint.
A corporate security team managing sponsor operations notices suspicious activity during credential pickup with the same surname and the same location.
If these datasets live in silos, that pattern may never be connected. But within a connected framework, analysts can correlate these intelligence signals in seconds, surfacing a person of concern who may have both motive and proximity to the event.
Building a connected investigations framework
Establishing an effective investigations framework for NSSEs and other high-profile events requires three key capabilities:
Pre-event inside vetting and behavioral baselines
Agencies and private partners must move beyond one-time background checks toward continuous, risk-informed vetting that emphasizes awareness and accountability. For example, a Defense Department–affiliated recreation facility on Walt Disney World property uncovered that an accounting technician had exploited her system access over 18 months to issue unauthorized refunds totaling more than $183,000. In a large-scale event environment, similar credential misuse could go unnoticed without behavioral baselines and cross-functional coordination. Establishing clear patterns of access and communication among HR, security and operations helps detect anomalies early and address them before they evolve into costly or reputation-damaging breaches.
Case linkage and pattern recognition
Event-related investigations should never exist in isolation. When analysts apply connected data analysis and link mapping, patterns begin to emerge: recurring individuals, behaviors or affiliations that might otherwise appear unrelated. Each isolated incident may sit on the margins of concern, but when viewed collectively, they can reveal a broader narrative: an insider demonstrating escalating behavior or progressing along the pathway to violence. By aggregating and analyzing these small signals, investigative teams can shift from reacting to incidents to identifying intent, uncovering risks long before they cross into active threats.
Real-time collaboration and feedback loops
Investigative insight loses its power when it’s buried in inboxes or trapped in spreadsheets. The true value of intelligence emerges only when it reaches the right people at the right moment. Breaking down silos between intelligence analysts, investigators and operational teams ensures that findings translate into timely, informed action on the ground. Establishing an event-specific security operations center — one that unites state, local and federal agencies with venue security and event officials under a shared framework — creates a single hub for intelligence sharing and rapid coordination. This collaborative model transforms investigations from static reports into dynamic, real-time decision support, ensuring that every partner has the visibility and context needed to anticipate and neutralize risks before they escalate.
Even as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into the investigative process, the human element remains indispensable. Technology can accelerate analysis and detection, but it’s human intuition, context and judgment that transform data into decisions — capabilities that AI has yet to replicate and replace.
Securing from the inside out
As the U.S. prepares for a decade of NSSEs, the success of each operation will depend on one foundational principle: Security starts from within. The most sophisticated perimeter protection and threat detection systems cannot compensate for insider risk that goes unexamined.
By operationalizing investigations within a connected framework that unites intelligence data, event security teams and tradecraft, federal agencies can transform insider threats from unknown liabilities into known risks, enabling the implementation of mitigation actions. In doing so, they not only safeguard events, but also set the new standard for how public and private sectors can work together to protect what matters most when the world is watching.
Tim Kirkham is vice president of the investigations practice at Ontic.
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I took a regular spiral ham and gave it the double-smoke treatment. Then I hit it with a hot honey glaze that gives it that sticky-sweet heat. Not too hot for the family… just a little kick.
And really, smoked ham is about the easiest thing you can cook… and you can use whatever glaze you want. Just make sure you smoke one for your Easter dinner cause left-over holiday ham from a ziplock in the fridge is one of the small joys of life!
Ground brisket WITH raw bacon to make the best smoked burgers. These brisket bacon burgers are rich, smoky, and packed with flavor. The brisket gives you that beefy bite and the bacon brings in a smoky saltiness that puts ’em over the top. You might wanna wear a bib — these burgers are juicy!
Ingredients
16 lb whole packer brisket (untrimmed)
2–3 lbs bacon ends & pieces (or thick-cut bacon)
Killer Hogs Steak Rub (or salt, pepper, garlic)
Burger buns (toasted)
Sliced cheese
Pickles
Red onion slices
Lettuce
Tomato slices
Big Malc’s Burger Sauce (or your favorite burger sauce)
Big Malc’s Burger Sauce
½ cup Blue Plate mayonnaise (or your favorite mayo)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
¼ cup sweet pickle relish (juice and all)
1 tablespoon freshly grated onion (with juice)
½ teaspoon Killer Hogs TX Rub (or a mix of coarse salt & black pepper)
½ teaspoon paprika (for color)
1–2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (just a drizzle)
Instructions
Prep the Brisket and Bacon
Cut the brisket into 1½ to 2-inch chunks, separating the flat from the point if needed.
Keep the fat on — you want a good lean-to-fat ratio for juicy burgers.
Cut bacon into similar-sized pieces so it runs through the grinder easily.
Chill the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes before grinding.
Grind the Meat
Alternate brisket and bacon as you feed it through the grinder to evenly mix.
Grind the meat with the large plate first then if you want a finer grind, repeat the grind process
Chill the ground brisket-bacon mix in the refrigerator until ready to form patties.
Form the Burger Patties
Weigh out about 8 oz portions and loosely form into balls.
Use a burger press or hand-form into patties. Use parchment or a Ziploc bag for easy cleanup.
Make a slight dimple in the center to prevent the patties from puffing up too much.
Season the Burgers
Season the outside of each patty with Killer Hogs Steak Rub or your favorite burger seasoning.
Remember the bacon adds salt, so don’t overdo it.
Fire Up the Smoker
Set your pit to 275°F using Royal Oak briquettes for a coal bed then add wood splits for heat.
Place burgers directly on the grates and smoke for about 45 minutes, flipping after 30.
Cook to an internal temp of 145°F for a juicy medium finish.
Build Your Burger
Toast your buns and spread Big Malc’s Burger Sauce on both sides.
Layer on: Pickles, Red onion, Lettuce, Tomato, Double cheese (cheddar + Swiss), Smoked brisket bacon patty
Crown it with the top bun and get ready to lean in.
Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala and also the day to comomerate and celebrate Vamana and King Mahabali .Whole of Kerala and Malayalees world over celebrate the day with a lot of joy and happiness. Onam is a ten day festival and as per gregorian Calender falls anyday between August - September which coincides with the Chingam Month as per Malayalam Alamanac on the star of Thiruvonam or Sravanam which is the 22nd star or Nakshatra.
Mahabali was a very generous and powerful king who ruled Kerala and there was abundant prosperity and happiness during his reign. It is believed that on this day King Mahabali or Maaveli visits the land of Kerala and rejoices with the people of the land . To welcome the King ,an elaborate rangoli or kolam using flowers is decorated at every home , a lavish spread known as Sadhya is prepared and the annual boat race is held by the State .
ONAM is the annual state festival of Kerala.
I have already posted almost all recipes prepared for a Sadhya on my blog .I will post the link below which can be used as a ready recokner.
Today we shall see a very traditional and authentic sweet chakka Pradhaman made using Jackfruit Jam known as Chakka Varatti . I have already posted how to make chakka varatti during jackfruit season .
This paysam is really easy to make if we have the chakka varatti ready on hand . The other version to make Chakka Pradhaman from scratch can be found here.
Without further delay,let me get to the recipe quickly .
Preparation Time - 10 mins Cooking Time - 15 mins Complexity - simple Serves - 2 to 3
Ingredients
1/2 cup chakka varatti / jackfruit jam 3/4 cup grated coconut 3 tbsp jaggery 1/2 cup thick coconut milk 2 tbsp finely chopped coconut bits 2 tsp ghee
Method
Blend the chakka varatti, grated coconut and jaggery with 1/4 cup water to a very fine paste .
In a heavy pan ,heat the ghee and fry the coconut bits until they turn crisp and brown.
Pour the blended paste to this fried coconut and bring it to a quick boil .
Add the thick coconut milk in the end ,mix well and turn off the stove .Donot try to over cook or boil the Pradhaman after adding the coconut milk ..the Pradhaman will curdle .the heat is enough to cook the coconut milk and take away the raw smell.
Delicious chakka Pradhaman is ready.
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Sadhya recipes on the blog. Click on the individual items below to get detailed recipe
Jackfruits are still available in plenty in most places in India and will surely be available for a few weeks more . If you are done with your quota of eating fresh , ripe and juicy jackfruits then I suggest you must make this delicious jackfruit jam /preserve a delicacy from Kerala known as Chakka Varatti or Chakka Varatiyadhu.
Chakkai in Malayalam means Jackfruit and Varatiyadhu means reduction /simmering process .So basically we make a tasty relish or jam like preserve from jackfruit pulp and jaggery to relish all year long when fresh jackfruits aren't available.
I learnt this recipe from Chandra Muthukrishnan aunty, who is an expert in making traditional and complex dishes in a breeze .She guided me over whatasapp while I was making this and gave a final approval when I shared the video of the finished product .
Traditionally in olden times, making chakka varatti was a long drawn process and the ladies of the house had to toil a lot to prepare since modern day gadgets like gas stoves, food processors or pressure cookers were not available.
The jackfruit pods had to be boiled over wooden or charcoal stoves and then using grinding stone the pulp had to me made and then further cooked in huge bronze vessel called Uruli with jaggery and ghee for hours together to get the perfect taste and texture . Now making chakka varatti is a lot easier and we can prepare it effortlessly at the comfort of our homes .
Preparation Time -20 mins Cooking Time - 35 to 45 mins Complexity - complex
Ingredients
14 to 16 ripe jackfruit pods jaggery powder (same measure as jackfruit pulp) 2tsp of cardamom powder ghee as needed
Method
Deseed the jackfruit pods and pressure cook it with 1/4 cup water for 2 whistles on medium flame .
Let the pressure release naturally, strain the excess water and let the jackfruit cool down .
Blend the cooked jackfruit into a smooth pulpy puree in your blender.
Measure the pureed jackfruit and take the same quantity of jaggery powder ..eg if you get 1 cup of puree, using the same cup measure 1 cup of powdered jaggery and 1/2 cup ghee .
Melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup water and strain it for impurities.
In a heavy bottomed pan ,heat the strained jaggery syrup and let it come to a nice bubbling boil .
At this stage add the jackfruit pulp and mix it nicely till the jaggery and pulp blend in well.
Keep stirring on low flame and you can see the mixture begins to cook and starts giving out a good aroma .
The key is in stirring without a break as there is a chance of the mixture getting burnt easily .
The mixture begins to thicken and reduces in quantity after 10 mins,at this stage add some 3 to 4 tbsp of ghee and mix well . The entire ghee gets absorbed by the mixture and you can see a nice glossy look.
After some time you can see that the entire jam looks glossy and begins to leave the sides of the pan easily and resembles the texture of a jam .
Now add the balance ghee ,cardamom powder and continue to cook for sometime. When you drop a blob of the chakka varatti using the ladle, it should slide off and fall down easily . This is the correct texture .turn off the stove at this stage and let it cool . The jam will slightly thicken more after cooling. Donot worry about that. Once cooled, transfer the chakka varatti to a dry container using a dry spoon and refrigerate it. (Check the video below for the consistency)
Note
To have a prolonged shelf life ,never thaw the entire preserve for a long time. Take out the desired quantity and put it back into the refrigerator. This way the chakka varatti stays for almost 1 year .
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