Masala Kappa (Tapioca Masala)

Between a relocation and a kitchen renovation, I have been completely off my food blog. Though I was cooking very regularly, writing down the recipes or clicking photos of the food I made never happened. Now that I have a brand new kitchen, I decided enough is enough. So starting off again with a simple but yummy Kerala recipe.

Kappa(tapioca) has always been one of my all time favorite dishes. The famous combination is Kappa and Fish curry. But I will happily have even a simple boiled kappa with a bit of Mulaku chammanthi (Chilly Chutney). This recipe is a bit more elaborate. So here goes.

What you need:

• Kappa(tapioca), bite sized pieces: 1 cup
• Ginger: a 1.5 inch piece
• Garlic: 5-6 medium sized cloves
• Red chilly: 3 nos
• Pearl Onions/Shallots: 10 nos
• Curry leaves: a handful, chopped
• Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
• Grated coconut: 2 tbsp (optional)
• Salt and oil: As per taste

 
 How to make:

• In a deep pan, add the kappa, enough water and turmeric. The water level should be just a couple of inches above the tapioca layer.
• Bring it a boil and reduce the flame to medium. Add half tsp of salt, mix and continue cooking till the tapioca is soft. Drain and mash it coarsely.
• While the tapioca is cooking, crush the pearl onions, ginger, garlic, and red chillies. You can use a mortar & pestle for crushing. Or a chapati roller over a cutting board will also do (that's what I did ).
• Once the tapioca is almost cooked, heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add finely chopped curry leaves, give it a stir and then add the crushed ingredients.
• Fry till the raw smell goes and the pearl onions turn a light brown. Pearl onions brown a lot faster than regular onions, so keep a close eye on the pan. I usually add a pinch of salt at this point so that the masala also has enough salt.
• If you like coconut, you can add it now and mix well.
• By now, your tapioca will be ready and mashed. Add this mashed tapioca to the pan and mix well so that the masala is evenly coated.
• Cook for another 5-6 minutes and take off the stove.

You can simply have it as it is or serve it with fish/chicken/beef curry.