I have shared a few alternate Kappa-Yuca /Cassava recipes in my previous blogs. Here is another delicious way of preparing, Kappa-meat biryani typical in Kerala Christian Cuisines.  In this recipeTapioca/Kappa cooked, mashed and combined with meat, masala and seasoned with spices to serve as a single dish meal.

Ingredients

For kappa:

1. Tapioca /kappa : 1 kg
2. Turmeric powder : ½ T- sp
3. Salt for taste
4. Water for cooking the tapioca

For Meat:

1. Beef : ½ kg
2. Turmeric powder : ¼ T- sp
3. Chilli powder : ½ T-Sp
4. Ginger –Garlic paste : 2 T-sp
5. Garam masala : ¼ T-sp
6. Sliced onions : 2 (medium)
7. Sliced green chilli : 2
8. Oil : 1 Tbl-sp
9. Curry leaves

For grinding:

1. Coconut : 1.5 Cup
2. Coriander seeds : 2 Tbl- sp
3. Red chilli : 10(adjust)
4. Pepper cone :  1 T- sp
5. Cardamom : 2
6. Cloves : 2
7. Cinnamon stick : ¼ inch

Method

• Cook the kappa in the pressure cooker, add enough water to cover the kappa along with turmeric and enough salt, cook it for 1 whistle or until soft.
• Drain the water and smash it, (I didn’t smash it too much since we love some chunks), keep it aside for later use.

• In a pan, add the coconut along with coriander seeds, cardamom and cloves; roast it until golden brown.
• Add the red chilli ~5 minutes before switching off the stove and fry it.
• Allow it to cool completely and grind it into smooth paste (add enough water for making the paste).

• In the pressure cooker, add oil and fry the onion along with ginger-garlic paste and green chilli until brown in color.
• Then add the chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and enough salt and pressure cook the beef for about 6 whistles or until cooked.
• Open the cooker, add the ground masala along with a cup of water and give a good boil.

• Reduce the flame into low and add the smashed tapioca little at a time and mix well.
• Mix everything together and cook it for another 1 minute, the consistency should be semi-liquid ( not watery or thick – but consistency may be varied according to individual taste).
• Switch off the stove and add the curry leaves and give a final mixing.

Tips:

Adjust the quantity of oil and coconut to your taset

Use coconut oil for traditional taste.

Use pearl onions instead of big onion for traditional taste.