Kappa Ularthu
Kappa…malayalee’s much favored food item…something that’s gonna make your mouths water for sure for a few minutes to come….So, proceed only if you have enough kappa in your kitchen store or is only a call away from your grocer….:)Explicitly forming an inseparable part of Kerala cuisine, Kappa is known to be one of the exotic tubers to be available for cooking and not to mention the fact that it is considered to be the secondary staple food of Kerala…. A close substitute to rice on nutritional fronts too as it is high in starch and low in proteins. So, health watchers and diabetic patients, keep yourself as far-off as possible from all the enticing dishes made with this rather unique food item…. Sorry for the intimidating warning to start off with…. :)
I was in fact introduced to the world of the exotic taste of kappa as a child when I was given this rather exceptional combo of cooked kappa and Ulli (onion) chutney which is quite popular in all Kerala households…though I’ve now substituted the usual onion chutney with garlic chutney, an incredible recipe input passed on to me by my amma-in-law…. Just perfect for all garlic lovers leaving your tummies feeling good as well after all the kappa and chillies being overstuffed into it. This quite reminds me of the ad, which goes, “No one can eat just one”….Well, honestly, one piece of kappa does not suffice me at all…. Yeah, it could be the last piece on my plate…though the chances are remote for those odds too….:)
Do you think a true Malayalee can say no to a plate of scrumptious kappa delicacies? Especially if he is served kappa along with Onion chutney or Green chillies chutney or even garlic chutney…. And another big no if served as a Puzhukku with fish curry…truly implausible!!! All just goes to show how much Keralites just take pleasure in devouring naadan food…. Me definitely being one amongst them.... :)
And kappa ularthu is one such naadan dish which I’m absolutely sure would leave you all completely spellbound for a while…. It is a dry fry dish made with cooked kappa seasoned with lots of chilly powder and garlic and sautéed until dry and crispy. Simple to make with a fewer number of ingredients would definitely make it all the more popular among housewives….
So, for all Kappa lovers, here’s how the recipe goes…
You’d require
500 gm Tapioca (Kappa)
10 nos or more of Small onions or Cheriya ulli
10 nos or more of Garlic pods
Kashmiri chilly powder – I leave this to you as the more you add, the more tastier it wud be
½ tsp Turmeric powder
A few Curry leaves
½ tsp Mustard seeds (optional)
Salt – As reqd
Coconut Oil – 1 – 2 tbsp
Method:-
1)Cook tapioca pieces along with salt in a pressure cooker, till done.
2)Cut them into small or medium sized pieces. Keep it aside.
3)Crush (do not chop or slice) the small onions and the unpeeled garlic pods.
4)Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.
5)Splutter mustard seeds.
6)Add crushed small onions and crushed garlic and sauté for a while.
7)Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder followed by chilly powder and fry. See to it that it doesn’t get burnt.
8)Add curry leaves and sauté again.
9)Add a little salt, if necessary.
10)Add the chopped tapioca pieces.
11)Stir well for a few minutes till the whole mixture gets mixed well. You can pour in a couple of tsp of oil too if the whole thing gets too dry.
12)Remove from flame when done.13)Garnish with sautéed curry leaves.
14)Serve it piping hot.
And so there you are… a spicy kappa delicacy on your table within no time waiting for you to dig in. A perfect tea time snack too in case you have a couple of cooked kappa left over. And not too sure if it would be appreciated by kids as my little one always turns his face off to the sight of kappa….:(
As a matter of fact, Kappa is one of a kind that is extremely popular globally too and holds a rather predominant place in Kerala households particularly among the poor…though nowadays highly preferred by rich too….Thankfully, taste buds do not have class and discrimination as many of the human minds do….
Speaking of such discrimination, actually, it is extremely disheartening to see the existence of such hard-core racial and class discrimination even today in the 21st century and I think its’ high time we eradicated the word “Inequality” from this planet. So guys, as a first step, look around, reach out for the downtrodden, treat them as equals, help them in every possible way and bring big smiles to their faces… just like the ones this kappa ularthu is gonna bring to yours!!! and that shud be something like this....:)
So, on that note, happy cooking!!!!
Labels: Snacks / Appetizers
posted by Viji at
5:16 AM
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