Chutta Pappada(m) Chammanthi - Pappadam with ground coconut

Here’s one more to the list of recipes long forgotten from my mother’s memory….a taste completely new to me. She remembered this one when I was showing a picture of Pappadam Thalichathu (recipe coming soon) . Here (a crispy thin flatbread made of black gram flour), instead of frying, is grilled/roasted without oil and then ground with freshly grated coconut and mildly spiced with a dry red chilly and aroma therapy is provided by the fresh curry leaves and a touch of coconut oil. I felt it is a nice variation from the regular Chammanthi I have tasted and thought of featuring it here!
Ingredients:
2 medium size Pappadam/Indian wafers (buy the ones from Kerala)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 large dry red chilly ( as per taste)
A fistful of grated coconut
2-3 curry leaves
Salt to taste
Directions:
Cook Pappadam in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, you can roast/grill Pappadam over a burner, in flame, until done. Crush this into small pieces
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan; to this add dry red chilly and immediately turn off the heat. Keep stirring and roast the chilly, until it starts to change colour( from red to brown). Pour this to the wet grinder/smallest jar of mixer (including the leftover oil from the pan), add grated coconut, crushed Pappadam, curry leaves and salt; grind till everything becomes a coarse dry paste.
Serve with Kuthari Choru.

kappa fishcurry

In my childhood I have fond memories of the time, I spent at my village. kattakada is a small agricultural town in the outskirts of trivandrum.I loved to spend the vacation with my cousins and Grandmother, whom I lovingly called Ammumma.I remember that, she was always kind and gentle with her grandchildren but she was very strong willed with her children.

People in that area considered puzhukku as one form of staple food. Kappa (Tapioca) or chakka (Jack fruit) is used to make that. In the harvest season all most all the people there used to preserve it in the dried forms and use that in the rainy season.

So Ammumma also not different , used to cook puzhukku frequently.She cuts a big banana leaf and serve the puzhukku with Fish or Meat Curry.We grandchildren,ten of us ,used to sit around the big leaf and we really enjoyed the meal.My Grandmother used to feel very satisfied and contented.
Even now my mouth waters when i think of hot kaappa and fish curry.......

I am going to share the recipe of that Kappa Puzhukku along with my favourite fish curry.


Kappa Puzhukke

Ingredients

Tapioca 1kg
salt to taste
grated coconut 1 cup
shallots 5 nos
cumin seed 1/2 tsp
green chilies 4 nos
curry leaf 2 sprigs
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Method

Peel both thin brown and thick pink skin and cut tapioca into small piece(discard fibre in the middle ).Double boil tapioca with more water and salt.Drain it completely and mash nicely .Grind coarsely all other ingredients and mix well into mashed tapioca ,Cook in a slow flame for few more minutes.
Serve hot with fishcurry or Meat curry.

Fish Curry

Ingredients

1 kg King fish
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 garlic finely chopped
1 inch ginger finely chopped
3 green chilies chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
3 pieces Kokum(kudampuli)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder
1 cup coconut milk
2tbsp oil

Method

Heat little oil in a small pan ,add 1 sprig curry leaves and red chilli powder and turmeric powder.Saute for few minutes and keep aside.Soak kokum in little warm water.
Heat oil ,add fenugreek seeds,saute a while.Add onion,ginger,garlic , chili and curry leaves.Stir fry to soften the onion.Add tomatoes and fried powders and saute till oil seperates from masala.Add coconut milk,fish,kokum and salt .Remove from heat when the fish is cooked.