Kappa and chuttaracha chammanthi

Kappa is tapioca in malayalam. It is the long root of the casava plant and has a brown outer rind. It contains mainly carbohydrates and almost nil proteins and fat. This starchy food can replace grains. In Kerala, where I live, kappa grows on any soil. It is abundant in the interior regions. Whenever we go to our hometown of Mallapally, we get fresh organic kappa. When the root is cut, a good kappa will be pure white inside.

The bronze uruli is from Mom's ancestral home. This is the traditional vessel used for cooking and serving. There are very large uruli's that are used for cooking large quantities, for example, for a wedding. Nowadays, uruli is used as a decorative piece; filled with water and with flower petals floating in them. For Vishukkanni, mom places all the vegetables and fruits (golden cucumber, lemon, coconut), rice grains and yellow konna flowers in the uruli. This is what we see first on Vishu day.

Ingredients for kappa dish are :

Kappa - 1/2 kg

For the masala,

Coconut, grated - 1 and 1/2 cup

Onions, small - 4, peeled and sliced

Green chili - 3, slit

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Curry leaf - a sprig

Salt

Crush the masala ingredients together in a blender. Keep aside.

Clean the kappa. Remove skin. Cut kappa into small pieces and wash thoroughly. 

In a vessel, add kappa with sufficient water. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until kappa is soft. Remove excess water.

Add masala to the middle of the kappa. Cover it with kappa. The steam will cook the coconut in the masala. After a minute, stir to mix. Mash the kappa.

Ingredients for chammanthi :

Coconut - 1/2 shell

Red chili - 4

Onion, small - 4, peeled and sliced

Tamarind - a little

Salt

Place the coconut directly on the flame of a gas stove so that all water evaporates and it becomes brown on the sides. Remove any blackened parts.

Cut the coconut into small pieces. 

Fry red chilies until it bubbles up.

Grind chili with salt to a powder. Add coconut pieces. Powder. Add onions and tamarind, and grind to a smooth paste. Sprinkle water if required for grinding.

We had kappa with chuttaracha chammanthi for lunch. Kappa and fish curry is a popular combination.

Recipe from Mom