Kappa and fish curry
Kerala's favourite pairing: kappa (tapioca) boiled soft and roughly mashed with crushed coconut, small onions, green chillies and garlic, eaten with a fiery red mathi (sardine) curry soured with kudampuli. The curry, meen mulakittathu, has no coconut and tastes even better the next day; ayala (mackerel) works just as well. On a day without fish, kappa is eaten with kanthari chammanthi, bird's-eye chillies and small onions crushed with coconut oil.
- 1 h 10Time
- 41 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 21 gprotein per portion
- 740kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 1 kgTapioca (kappa)
- 1 mlTurmeric, for the tapioca
- to tasteSalt
- 100 gGrated coconut
- 4Small onions (shallots), peeled, for the tapioca
- 3Green chillies, for the tapioca
- 3 clovesGarlic, peeled, for the tapioca
- 3 mlCumin, seeds
- 2 sprigsCurry leaves, for the tapioca
- 1 tbspCoconut oil, for the tapioca
- 3 mlMustard seeds, for the tapioca
- 2Dried red chillies
On the side
- 600 gFresh sardine, cleaned
- 3 piecesKokum
- ≈ 100 mlWater, warm, for the kudampuli
- 3 tbspCoconut oil, for the curry
- 3 mlMustard seeds, for the curry
- 1 mlFenugreek seeds
- 8Small onions (shallots), sliced, for the curry
- 20 gGinger, finely chopped
- 8 clovesGarlic, sliced, for the curry
- 2Green chillies, slit, for the curry
- 2 sprigsCurry leaves, for the curry
- 2 tbspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tspRed chilli powder
- 1 mlTurmeric, for the curry
- ≈ 300 mlWater, for the curry
- to tasteSalt
Method
- Soak the kudampuli (kokum) in the warm water. Rub the sardines with a little salt and rinse them well. Slice the small onions and garlic for the curry, finely chop the ginger and slit the green chillies.
- Heat the coconut oil for the curry in a manchatti (clay pot) or wide pan. Add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and let them splutter, then the curry leaves, small onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Sauté until soft and light golden, about 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat, stir in the Kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder and turmeric and fry for a minute without letting them burn. Pour in the water and the kudampuli with its soaking water, add salt and bring to the boil.
- Slide in the sardines, cover and simmer on a low flame for 12–15 minutes, until the fish is cooked and the gravy thick, with red oil on top. Swirl the pot instead of stirring so the fish doesn't break.
- Meanwhile, peel the tapioca: cut it into 6 cm lengths, slit through the thick brown skin and the pink layer under it and peel both off. Split the pieces, pull out the woody thread in the middle, cut into 4 cm chunks and wash.
- Cover the tapioca with water in a large pot, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain off the water: it takes away any bitterness.
- Meanwhile, crush the coconut with the small onions, green chillies, garlic and cumin for the tapioca in the mixer, a few short pulses, without water: it should stay coarse.
- Pour over fresh hot water to cover, add the turmeric and salt and cook on a medium flame for about 15 minutes, until the tapioca is soft and starting to break at the edges. Drain well.
- Spread the coconut mixture and half the curry leaves over the hot tapioca, cover and leave on a low flame for 3 minutes. Then mash it roughly with a spoon, part smooth and part chunky.
- Heat the coconut oil for the tapioca in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the dried red chillies and the rest of the curry leaves, pour it over the tapioca and mix.
- Serve the kappa hot with the fish curry.
