Kappa Biriyani – Unforgettable night outs in Thattukada!!

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!!