Unakka Kappa Puyukku and a city to country side alliance

The story revinds back to about 9 years. The city girl gets married to the country side..all green...plantations...cattles...paddy. Wasn't she simply excited just being this close to things which till then , she had just watched on tv. Even a walk amidst the rubber trees seemed super duper cool!.(you get it right?..whom i am speaking..oops, writing about. i, me and myself...actually)

 

 After wedding, its customary that we pay a visit our new relatives, starting the very next day. It was one of those visits and my grand mother-in-law was with us as well. She takes me for a walk round the house...explaining about the different plants..their medicinal benefits..how their generation would live entirely on foods cultivated on their own land. Absolutely nothing purchased so..so..

 

 

Finally, the tour ends up near the stable and she starts on and on about cows....milking...kind of analysing by herself how this particular one would have reduced its milk output.

 

There i was ..not getting something right. My husband joins us and silently i asks him...."why is she speaking about milking this cow?? how in the world can male-cows give milk ??? "

 

His one look and i knew that i was upto some blunder.

 

"what makes you think that this is male and it cannot milk?" - "HE" asks..

 

Not wanting his grand mother to listen and definitely a bit cautious of what she would feel of the newly wed bride...silently whispers ...

 

..well it has horns!!! so, it should be a male....is it not ?? (elephants with tusks are males..so, cows with horns should be males as well....so i believed)

..oopps...!!!

 

years past...i am all used to their surroundings, foods..and this is one staple preparation from that part of the state (kottayam).

 

Unakka Kappa Puyukku

 

Unakka kappa is Tapioca peeled, washed, sliced or diced, boiled and dried in sun. This can be stored for years and when cooked gives out a totally different flavor. Dry tapioca kuzhachathu is prepared in the same way as fresh tapioca kuzhachathu but the taste is entirely different. It goes well with fish curry or red chilly chutney.

Ingredients:

Dry tapioca/Unakka kappa: 3 cups.

Coconut: 1 cup.

Kaantharimulaku: 6 - 7 (the mini red cillies which are super hot)

Garlic: 5 - 6 cloves.

Shallots:4-5.

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.

Salt.

 

For the seasoning:

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp.

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.

Shallots: 3.

Dried red chilly flakes.

Curry leaves.

 

 

Method:
Wash thoroughly the dry tapioca and soak them in water overnight.

Grind coarsely coconut, dried chilies, garlic, shallots, and turmeric and keep aside.

Cook the tapioca in pressure cooker for about 2-3 whistles. Release the pressure by keeping the cooker under cold running water. Open and drain. Again put the cooker on low flame and mash the tapioca well and put in the coarsely grinded coconut and salt. Mix well.

 

 

Season with coconut oil, mustard seeds, red chilly flakes,  shallots, and curry leaves. Mix well.

 

 Serve hot with fish curry or chutney.

 

need some more glance into this city-village bond ???...

in here....@pick quicks