Cochin town has always offered me phenomenally exciting night outs in thattukada (road side eateries). This is my town, and this is my home. “Me and my boys (and my one wife)” will be back in town soon enough…. When I am out with my friends in Cochin, there is a reassuring feeling in my mind that everything is going to be good. That tonight, we are going to have the time of our lives, and that everything in life is going to be A-Okay.
Back in Manchester, after work, my friends and I enjoy the evenings quite a bit, but nights out in Manchester are quite different from Cochin. The bars and clubs are always packed in the summer, and the popular ones always have pretty big lines to get in. However, they all lack the life, the excitement and the sheer fun feeling that bars and lounges in Cochin offer you. I miss the feeling of being in my hometown, the feeling that just outside this lounge are the same streets that I spent a majority of my lifetime with my friends during a better part of my college days.
I wholeheartedly believe that Beef Dry Fry, Chicken Tikka and Kappa Biriyani add spice to your night! I am yet to have another culinary experience that can give me a “feel-good” high in life!
After a good night of social activities in Cochin, we usually end up in one of the early morning breakfast places. These are usually crowded with people trying to get one last bite in, before hitting the sack to sleep off a Sunday. Kerala’s national food by choice, the famous Porotta and curry is the best thing there is to follow a series of non-stop all night excitement. The atmosphere, the thrill and the fun of sitting on the benches outside at these Thattukadas and eating simply is the best way to finish off an exciting night out with your friends. This lip-smacking goodness of spicy flavored kappa biriyani offers me a small piece of heaven every single time!
The kappa biryani resembles a khichdi, and is made with boiled kappa or tapioca. A tadka of green chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds is added before the mixture is beaten with a wooden pestle. A beef masala mixture that stands in a pan, is tossed with the mashed tapioca before it’s served steaming.
Preparation time- 15 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Serves – 4
Ingredients
Beef – ½ kg
Onion – 1
chopped ginger & garlic – 1 tablespoon each
Chilli powder – 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Pepper powder – 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon
Vinegar – 2 teaspoon
Kappa/ Tapioca/ Cassava – ½ kg
fresh grated coconut – 1cup
Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Small onion – 5-6
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt
Oil – coconut oil
Curry leaves
Method
1) Cook tapioca with salt till it becomes soft. Strain and mash tapioca & keep it aside.
2) Marinate the cleaned beef with onion, ginger garlic, masala powders, vinegar & salt. Cook the marinated beef till it becomes tender.
3) Add the mashed tapioca to beef & mix well. Meanwhile fry scraped coconut with chilli powder & coriander powder till it becomes golden brown. Grind it. Add ground coconut mix to beef & tapioca & mix well.
4) Heat oil in a pan & splutter mustard seeds. Add small onion & saute for 3-4 minutes. Add beef tapioca mix & stir for 4-5 minutes. Your Kappa biriyani is ready to serve hot!!
This sounds tasty
thank you for sharing this recipe
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Thank you Voulaah
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oh very welcome
🙂
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Reblogged this on On the Road Cooking.
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My pleasure😊
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This sounds lovely and tasty Sumith and I can understand you feeling homesick – your nights out in Cochin sound full of fun! x
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Thank you Wendy:))
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Hi Sumith, I hope you’re ok? I’ve nominated you for the 3 day quote challenge – Don’t worry if you can’t complete it and it would be brilliant if you can! xx
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Thanks you Wendy for the nomination. I haven’t tried this one. Will give it a try😊
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Brilliant! x
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I love tapioca .. My grandma makes tasty dishes with it .. Like the salt and pepper shaker in your pic very unique ..😀
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It was very popular with the old generation. Glad you like the salt and pepper shakers😊
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Looks superb
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Thank you Ritu:))
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Thank you Ritu😊
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Wow, lovely write up I like the way you share your thought process with each of your recipes 😀 that is so true, a road side dhabba style food and night outs, are most memorable once.
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Thank you Rhythm:)) Dhabba foods are great and freshly prepared😋
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Beautiful Images! A want to go back to the Thattakadda after reading this!
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Thank you Mzee:))
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I have never seen tapioca used in a savory way. Grew up having tapioca pudding in a rotation of family desserts my mom would prepare but can’t say I ever miss! You have broadened my horizons Sumith! Happy weekend!
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If you are a fish lover try it!! Fish made me an affair with tapioca😄 and the second date was with beef😙
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Delicious! it’s been long time since I had it.
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It is delicious Gloria!! If I see tapioca kappa biriyani comes straight in mind😄
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Wish you could send some here!
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Haha Gloria, I need somebody’s help to eat all these food:))
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🙂 🙂
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This looks amazing!! Going to try soon
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Let me know Archana, once when you made it😜
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Great post again, Sumith. Love the stories behind the food which looks very tasty
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Thank you sophie😊Try it you will love it!!
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I love tapioca,this is very unique dish to me,very nice,well presented as usual 😀
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Thank you Payel. Thanks for your compliment.
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This looks so very tasty! 🙂
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Thank you Ronit Penso. This is lip-smacking!!
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Oh wow! Never in my whole life have I wanted to eat tapioca before … you have quite literally changed my life – this looks and sounds SO delicious. I know I will love it. And by the way, I love the windows on your life both in India and in Manchester too …. its a really delicous mix!
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Hi Osyth, me too started loving tapioca with fish curry and beef. It is very delicious and rich in fibre. Please check one of my old post of deconstructed tapioca and fish curry in fish category, you will get more obsessed with tapioca. Yes it is very delicious!! And glad you like those comparisons😄
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I’ll be popping over to that post shortly. We used to call tapioca ‘frogspawn’ which was horribly off-putting but I’m feeling very ready to embrace it’s wonders and you are wholly responsible for this u-turn!
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Me too used to hate tapioca, since having it with fish curry and beef I started loving it!! Try this Osyth, you will love it😊
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I am absolutely going to (but I won’t tell my husband what it is until he’s eaten it!!)
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Once when you cooked in beef with sauce, it resembles mash potato☺if you like fish, try it with cocum fish curry!!
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I am sure it’s totally delicious, but what’s amazing is how you make something simple look fabulous!
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Thank you Dolly for the compliment!! And I wish a guest post in your blog:)) on that amazing baby cucumbers from India😃
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Oh yes, please do! I’d love to learn what to do with them, as I am sure many readers would.
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Will try it on my visit to kerala. Thanks for sharing
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Subash, a must try on a visit to kerala😄
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Planned for Jan end to Feb. Is it a good time to get there.
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It’s a good time to visit!! From September to may is the tourist season:))
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One of my favourites!!
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It’s my ever time favourite!!
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kochikarananalle.. kollalo! I didn’t know.. and kappa biriyani is a favourite. 🙂
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Kochikaari aanalee…yes me and Vasco Da Gama stepped in Cochin in the same boat!! Some body asked me the other day is he a cricketer😄
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hahaaha! footballer aanennu parayam! dutch footballer 😛
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Fantastic dish Sumith, road side food is always so good. I think it’s because it’s all freshly prepared using good quality ingredients usually by a home cook. I could eat this any time of day. Also, your salt and pepper shakers are adorable!!!
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Very true Suzanne, road side eateries are always made on fresh, and more over by a home cook. And glad you like my salt and pepper shakers:))
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This is so cool Sumith! I have had Kappa meen curry and I absolutely love it. But never tried Kappa biryani. I will definitely make this one. I am sure this will be incredibly delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
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Hi Lisa if you like kappa and meen curry, I would say this is one step ahead😃
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I bet it is! 🙂 ❤
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That Cochin offers solid protein street food like beef fry and fish curries in abundance all day & night through earns it my full-blown respect every single time – wish more of our uptight, perpetually insecure, easily offended cities & their keepers could learn a thing or two from it, if you get my drift;-) Loved the sketching of the nostalgia in your post – always a special thing when it is a living phenomenon and not some dead remembrance. May you, your family & buddies have a roaring time whenever you are back home.
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Hi Missionshedit your words beats my heart in happiness. Happy to know you been to my little town. Nostalgic moments!!
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I would love to go!!!
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You will glue to then!! Chef mimi welcome to Kerala “God’s own country”
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Looks delicious! My unforgettable experience of Cochin was buying fish at a roadside stall after eating a delicious meen curry at a restaurant in Cochin on my way to airport, getting it cleaned and packed (fit to fly) all the while throwing quick glances at my husband’s tense face looking at his watch and my kids waiting impatiently in the cab. but it was all worth it when we enjoyed some delicious kerala fish recipes after getting back home in Hyderabad.
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Hi SKD road side eateries are great!! Love those fish curries, at least I remind you some of your old good memories in Cochin!!
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Yes thank you. Have a wonderful weekend with your ‘one wife’ and lovely kids.
Regards
skd
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Haha thank you Skd, one wife is plenty…have a wonderful weekend😋
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