Tapioca is not just another starch-tuber for Keralites, but the one staple food that helped a society survive during the World War II period, when the state suffered from scarcity of food grains. Tapioca made its way to the working class as breakfast, dinner and snacks and found its soul-mate in the spicy red Kerala fish curry.
Ingredients
Tapioca/Yuca/Cassava/Kappa : 2 medium
Green Chilly : 2 nos (slit)
Turmeric powder : ¼ tsp
Curry leaves : a sprig
Grated Coconut : ½ cup
Small onions /Shallots : 4-5 (sliced)
Garlic : 2 cloves (crushed)
Mustard seeds : ½ tsp
Cumin Seeds : ½ tsp
Coconut oil : 1 tbsp
Dried Red chillies : 3-4
Salt to taste For seasoning
2 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard
1 tbsp shallots, sliced
2 dried chilies
2 sprig curry leaves
Method
Clean tapioca /kappa and chop into small cubes.Pour enough water to the cleaned tapioca so that all the pieces will be immersed completely,cook uncovered and allow to boil.When the water boils,remove and drain the water and again add the same amount of water, salt to taste, turmeric powder and cook till it turns to very soft.Drain off excess water from cooked tapioca.Meanwhile grind coarsely grated coconut, green chillies, dry red chillies, garlic, shallots, cumin seeds and turmeric powder.Pulses in mixer grinder for couple of times. No need to add water.Then transfer the cooked tapioca pieces to a pan and keep it in a very low flame. Add ground coconut mixture and using the back side of a wooden spoon, mash the tapioca pieces well mixing and remove from the flame.Then heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add curry leaves and dry red chillies and pour the seasoning to the cooked tapioca.Enjoy kappa with Spicy Fish Curry/Mulaku Chammanthi or with Chicken curry.
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