Kappa Puzhukku

Kappa Puzhukku

A tasty dish made of boiled and mashed tapioca (kappa), thick coconut paste and seasoning. A popular dish in Kerala cuisine, goes well with Kanji / Rice / Chapati/ Appam / Brown bread ...

Kappa ( Tapioca ) is a tubular , rich in carbohydrate omnipresent in Kerala.

If fresh, a cut section of Kappa will look moist and fully white. A bluish tinge or dryness indicate that the Kappa is old and hence not fresh ( won’t cook well ).

Cut fresh Kappa to required size after skinning and removing the vein at the centre. Wash and clean well (till get a clear water).

Take diced Kappa in a vessel. Add water- so that all the pieces are fully immersed. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Boil till done. Drain out water.

Alternately pressure cook on high heat for 3 whistles. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Drain out water.

Most important : Drain off this water. Don’t use it for any other purpose.

Serves: 3

For Kappa (Tapioca):

400 g boiled and roughly mashed tapioca , not very smooth (cook tapioca according to the instructions shown above).

For coconut paste:

75 g grated coconut
3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients with 2 tablespoon water.

For puzhukku:

In a pan / bowl, mix boiled and roughly mashed tapioca pieces, coconut paste and salt to taste. Sprinkle very little water (not more than 2 tablespoon). Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 - 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook until tapioca pieces well mixed with coconut paste and thickens. Switch off the heat.

For seasoning:

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
5 shallots / chuvannulli, finely sliced (2 tablespoons)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 spring curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera and saute for 1 minute. Add finely sliced shallots, chopped garlic and curry leaves. Fry on a low heat for 10 minutes or until golden color and crisp. Pour the seasoning over kappa puzhukku and mix well gently. Serve with kanji / rice / appam / brown bread ....