Kappa vevichathu / Kappa puzhukku / Tapioca with coconut Kerala style

Kappa vevichathu or kappa puzhukku is a very authentic yuca (often called cassava or tapioca) and coconut based dish which is popularly served with fish curry.

Kappa or yuca is a staple food and a common starch or carbs of Kerala which is either boiled or fried or cooked with coconut and spices. Boiled yuca is a very common breakfast item in Kerala which is normally served with green chili chutney and when yuca is cooked with spices and coconut with a side dish of fish or chicken curry, it becomes perfect lunch or dinner or else when it is deep fried, it is a special guilty pleasure snack.
In kappa puzhukku, peeled and sliced yuca is boiled, then mashed and cooked low and slow with coconut, chili, and cumin paste. It is thick and creamy but spicy and so flavorful, thanks to the coconut, garlic, mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves.

Kappa vevichathu is best served with Kerala red fish curry, but it is also good with chicken and egg curry. It is like an Indian version of mashed potatoes but with the flavors way turned up. Even, writing about it makes my mouth water.

Total time: 30-35 min
Yield:- 6 servings
Ingredients for kappa vevichathu :-

• 2.5 lb or 1.11 Kg of yuca or kappa, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1 large sprig of curry leaves
• 3-4 dry red chilies
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp of oil

To grind :-

• 1.25 to 1.5 cup of grated coconut
• 3-5 green chilies or to taste, chopped
• 4-5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 shallot or a small piece of red onion
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 3/4 tsp of cumin seeds
• 3/4 tsp of turmeric powder

Method for Kappa vevichathu:-

1. Peel the yuca and chop it into pieces of uniform size. Boil the water with salt and boil yuca until it is tender enough to mash.
2. In the mean time, grind coarsely coconut with cumin, green chilies, one sprig of curry leaf, garlic and turmeric with a little bit of water in a food processor.
3. Then add shallot into the ground coconut mixture and pulse it again, so that onion is very finely chopped.
4. When the yuca is fully cooked, turn off the heat and drain the water and put the yuca back in the same pan in which it is being boiled.
5. Mash the yuca and mix in the ground coconut paste and turn on the heat to low and cook for 5-6 minutes.
6. In a wide small pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, then dry add red chilies and the remaining curry leaves and cook until the leaves are crisp.
7. Add this into the mashed kappa or yuca and mix again. Kappa vevichathu is done.

Serve kappa vevichathu warm with Ayala curry / Kerala red fish curry or Kerala style chicken curry .
Please adjust the number of chilies and garlic according to your liking.  
I am coconut lover, so I used 1.5 cups of coconut in this recipe, but you can use around 1 to 1.25 cup of grated coconut.

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