Veg
Paal Kappa with Ulli Chammanthi
A family recipe since May 2015
Paal kappa is creamy Kerala-style tapioca simmered in coconut milk and tempered with shallot flavor; pair it with a bright, spicy shallot chutney (ulli chammanthi) for a comforting, authentic meal.
35 min total6 servings
Ingredients
- Tapioca - 1 kg
- Shallots - 6 whole
- Garlic - 2 clove
- Cumin seeds - 1 pinch
- Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
- Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
- Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
- Salt
- Curry leaves - 2 whole
- Shallots - 8 whole
- Green chillies - 3 whole
- Coconut oil
Instructions
- 1Peel the tapioca and cut it into cubes, then rinse the pieces under cold water to remove excess starch.
- 2Place the cubed tapioca in a pot, cover with water, add salt, and boil until the pieces are cooked through; when tender, drain and set aside.
- 3In a small grinder, combine 6 shallots, 2 garlic cloves and the cumin seeds and grind to a smooth paste; set the paste aside for the kappa.
- 4Return the drained tapioca to a wide pan, add the shallot–garlic–cumin paste and the coconut milk, and stir gently to combine.
- 5Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then add the grated coconut, curry leaves and coconut oil, and stir well so the flavors marry.
- 6As soon as the mixture comes to a boil and smells fragrant, remove the pan from the heat and give it a final stir.
- 7To make the ulli chammanthi, grind 8 shallots and 3 green chillies to a coarse paste, then season with salt and a little coconut oil; adjust the heat to your taste.
- 8Serve the warm paal kappa with a spoonful of ulli chammanthi on the side, and enjoy the contrast of creamy coconut and bright shallot chutney.