A Traditional Kadachakka and Beef Curry

The start of the monsoon in Thrissur meant it was time to pluck kadachakka. The humble breadfruit finds its way into many Syro-Malabar Christian dishes. Sruthi Vincent reminisces about her time spent with her father’s cousin, whom the children lovingly called Beep veliamma, because she was a whiz at making beef dishes and they couldn’t pronounce the f in beef. This was one of her favourite dishes..

I was born in Dubai and raised in Sharjah for 18 years of my life. When the time came to join college, I returned to my hometown in Thrissur, to pursue a degree. I stayed at a hostel, and for the weekends, I'd return home for some rest and delicious food that was made by 'Beep velliamma/ Beep aunty’ — this was what my friends lovingly called her because she could never say the 'f' sound in beef. She was a cousin of my dad’s and stayed at our place to take care of our aging aunt — my dad's sister and his brother as well. So, there I was spending my weekends just chilling with three 70+ year olds. 

It is where I remember eating kadachakka for the first time and loving it. When the season arrived just around monsoon, Beep velliamma and I would take an umbrella and a thotti (an angled hook tied to the end of a steel rod to pluck fruits from trees) and go to my cousin's place. They had a kadachakka tree in their backyard. We’d pluck the kadachakka with rain falling on our faces and get enough to make an upperi or even better, to mix it in with beef. 

My backyard had one as well, but it was unfortunately cut down and what remained was the stump of a tree I would have loved to have kept.

In Kerala, breadfruit trees are not typically grown and maintained for harvesting. These trees are usually seen in everyone’s backyards. They begin to fruit in the summer and are ready for the plucking with the arrival of monsoon. It is said to be available all through the monsoon. However, this has not been the case this year in 2025.

Variations in cuisine have been evident in the stories told to me by my parents who are Syro-Malabar Christians. My mother said it grew abundantly in her home in Kottayam and she never liked it. It was always prepared mimicking non-vegetarian dishes by adding garam masala, coriander powder etc. However, after marriage, as she migrated further to the north of Kerala (Thrissur), the difference in preparation was that beef was mixed in with kadachakka. This was seen with all meats — pork was made with raw banana, beef made with koorka (Chinese potato), chicken with potatoes. In those days, meats were bought for special occasions, and in small quantities. My father told me that the addition of these vegetables resulted in heartier dishes, and an increased quantity, therefore feeding more mouths during lean times.

These histories point to differences in cuisine that rise up from various parts of Kerala, where religion, region and socio-economic status would intersect to create beautiful, hearty dishes with depth of flavour.

Beep velliamma passed away some years ago and I never got the recipe from her. Now 15 years later, when the monsoon began in Kerala last year, I got kadachakka from a supermarket and made it with beef. It didn't taste like how Beep velliamma made it, but I savoured it simply for the memories of those carefree days in Thrissur when weekends in the monsoon were about eating and relaxing.

RECIPE FOR KADACHAKKA WITH BEEF

200 g kadachakka, cut into small triangles
200 g beef, cut into small pieces (works with 150g of beef as well)
15 to 20 chopped shallots (the more the better)
2 tbsp of ginger and garlic crushed to a paste
1 green chilli
½ tbsp of Kashmiri chilli powder
¼ tbsp of turmeric powder
2 tbsp of garam masala
2 tbsp of coriander powder
¼ tbsp of pepper (or according to heat tolerance)
Salt to taste
Coconut oil

Method

In a pressure cooker, add in the beef, 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, 10 curry leaves, 1 tbsp each of the garam masala and the coriander powder. Add 2 pinches of salt and a teaspoon of coconut oil and mix the ingredients well. Pour water just up to the level of the beef and cook it for 6 to 8 whistles depending on the cut of the beef. 
In a separate pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat and add in the shallots and the rest of ginger-garlic paste. Let it wilt a bit and then add in the green chilli and curry leaves. Saute for about 30 seconds and add in the Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tbsp each of garam masala and coriander powder. Add salt according to taste and pepper as well. To this add the kadachakka and mix well to ensure the kadachakka is coated with the masala. 
Immediately add the kadachakka into the beef and cook it in the pressure cooker for one whistle. This will be enough to cook it through. When cooked together the beef and the kadachakka would have blended in so well, as the kadachakka soaks up a lot of the beef gravy.
If the dish is too watery, it can be cooked off on an open high flame for a bit.
Garnish with a few curry leaves on top and serve with rice and morru kachiyadhe (buttermilk curry).

Sruthi is a full-time therapist from Kochi who loves to spend her free time dreaming of food, thinking of what to cook next, trying new restaurants, and writing travel and food articles along with her husband on their website traveltoeat.in

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