Kappayum Meenum! Need I say more? Every person who grew up in Kerala must miss this when they are out of their nests. Oh, unless they are vegetarian. Then they would miss… I don’t know! What do vegetarians miss when they leave Kerala? Enlighten me.
Anyway, I miss this. Among other things of course but this I miss one of the most because it represents home so much to me. Suma, our maid, brought some kappayum meenum for sis and I and of course I took the banana leaf that happened to lie around in amma’s kitchen and clicked it. I later asked amma for the recipe so I am not sure if this is hers or Suma’s. Either ways, it works, trust them if not me.
Meen Mulakarachathu, as we call it in Kottayam, is not my favourite Kerala fish dish but with kappa, its unbeatable. Its called by so many names by the way – Meen Vevichathu, Meen Mulakittathu, and even Meen Pattichathu. All one and the same folks!
More easy fish recipe – fried anchovies Kerala-style, Bengali fish fry, Indian Chinese chilli fish recipe.
Kappa Puzhukku / Boiled Tapioca Kerala Style
Ingredients:
1 kg tapioca / kappa
3/4 cup grated coconut
5 green chillies
5 flakes of garlic
5 shallots
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds / jeera / jeerakam
3 sprigs of curry leaves
3 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Peel and wash the tapioca well. Cut into small cubes and add to a pan with water 3″ inches higher than the level of tapioca. Bring to boil and add salt. Let it simmer on medium-low flame until the tapioca is almost soft.
2. Meanwhile, grind the other ingredients except curry leaves and oil. Once the tapioca is almost soft (just short of mushy stage), add the ground paste, along with the coconut oil and curry leaves. Mix well and let it heat through. (Alternately, you can heat oil in another pan, add curry leaves to it and then mix with the tapioca).
3. Remove from fire and serve with tangy and spicy fish curry / meen vevichathu.
Kerala Style Fish Curry (without coconut)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg any firm fish, cleaned and cubed (ideally with bones)
3 tbsp red chilli powder / mulaku podi (use Kashmiri chilli powder or a mix of that and the regular one if you can’t take heat)
1 tbsp coriander powder / malli podi
3 pieces of kudam puli
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds / uluva
3 sprigs of curry leaves
5 shallots
5 garlic cloves
1″ piece of ginger
3 green chillies, slit
3 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions:
1. Crush shallots, ginger, and garlic together in a pestle and mortar (or grind together).
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds. When they start to brown, add the crushed ginger-garlic-shallot paste. Fry for 10 seconds and then add the coriander powder, followed by the red chilli powder. Fry for another 10 seconds. Add curry leaves and green chillies and mix together well.
3. Now add the turmeric powder and the kudam puli with 2 cups water and salt. Bring to boil and let it boil for 2-3 mins before adding the fish.
4. Simmer on low heat for another 10-12 mins until the fish is cooked through. Check for salt and tanginess and add more of either if necessary.
Goes best with kappa puzhukku.
Excellent
hahahah 😀 😀 i have edited it. how much difference one single letter can make, eh? 😀
Nags!! hello.. this is Anju at this end.. love ur blog and you are like a guru mayya to me for all the mallu recipes… and a big HUG for this!
I'm going to make kappa meen curry today and while reading your post i have to say that its all mallus around the globe that miss that this absolutely tantalising dish..
And I have to tell you just one teeny weeny thing.. I spotted a typo error in the ingredients in the above.. it is – 1" piece of finger ' instead of ginger!!! LOL … me and hubby dearest rolled around with laughter… Can't help it dear being in a profession that requires me to read and approve copy, I do spot these things!! but definitely made us both smile 🙂 Hope this is fine with you..
and you need not publish this comment as it was more personal… but would love to meet on FB… you'll find me under Anju Sujith – place London…
looking forward to hear from you!!! lots of love
Nags!! hello.. love ur blog and you are like a guru mayya to me for all the mallu recipes… and a big HUG for this!
I'm going to make kappa meen curry today and while reading your post i have to say that its all mallus around the globe that miss that this absolutely tantalising dish..
And I have to tell you just one teeny weeny thing.. I spotted a typo error in the ingredients in the above.. it is – 1" piece of finger ' instead of ginger!!! LOL … me and hubby dearest rolled around with laughter…! but definitely made us both smile 🙂
Im craving chakkai varati now nags!! waiting for someone to visit from kerala!! :((
Nice pics. ..
Vegetarian that I am, what I miss most is puttu and kadala. I do make it here, but then, not as often as I'd like to.
Girl, why are you torturing me?! :))
We call it Meen peera and meen pattichathu:)
Pics are so good…I am preparing this on saturday:)
Hey Nagu…I think Meen pattichathu is a different dish…it is green in color prepared with coconut, green chilli and Kudampuli. It will look like thoran…
Is most of Kerala food non-vegetarian? I am so fascinated by the cuisine but wonder how much is in there for veggies like me!
Do you mean meen peera Sham?
This is totally a new combination to me…sure onto my list when I visit kerela next time 🙂
thank you all. kappayum meenum is quintessential kerala food and i am not surprised it made many of you nostalgic. this is a great recipe, do let me know if any of you try it 🙂
I love love this combination. Lovely clicks. The banana leaf looks as if you just brought them from the garden. So fresh and green.
I got a little teary-eyed when I saw this post. This weekend, I was feeling homesick for my mom and waxing poetic about this exact meal! Thanks for posting it. I'm going to have to give it a go to comfort myself. 🙂
So authentic… perfect clicks..
http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
Roundup: Healing Foods – Banana
Event: Serve It – Grilled/Barbequed/Tandoored
I just love this combination… Perfectly done…
aah.. I had been longing for some kappayum-meenum. Now I'm craving for it!
torturing! 🙁 ..:)
This one is my fav Nags. I love to eat them for breakfast, lunch and as well as dinner but thinking about the calories of tapioca, I go for only once in a month.. 🙂
Yes Kappa and meen , Appam and stew .. these are the things I missed most when I was away from Kerala.. And I had veggie frens who missed Kappa and mulaku chmmanti 🙂