Kappa puzhukku (mashed tapioca)
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Boiled tapioca mashed with a crushed coconut, chilli and shallot mix, eaten with fish curry or chammanthi.
Region: KeralaOccasion: Breakfast, lunch or evening mealTime: 45 minServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 kg tapioca (kappa)
- ½ tsp turmeric and salt
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 3 green chillies, 4 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves
Method
- Peel the tapioca, remove the inner fibre and cut it into pieces.
- Boil in plenty of water for 10 minutes, drain, then cook again in fresh water with salt and turmeric until very soft. Drain well.
- Crush the coconut, green chillies, shallots, garlic and cumin coarsely and add to the tapioca. Mash together over low heat.
- Temper with mustard, red chillies and curry leaves in coconut oil and mix in. Serve with fish curry.
History
Tapioca came to India from South America through the Portuguese. It spread widely in Travancore in the late nineteenth century with the encouragement of the rulers, and it helped many families through the food shortages of the 1940s.
Significance
Kappa with fish curry is one of Kerala’s best-loved meals, and tapioca is still grown on small farms across the State.