Kappa, the Story of Kerala’s Favourite Tuber

Tapioca, or kappa, as it is called in Kerala, is the Malayali’s favourite tuber. Tapioca is not traditionally eaten in its natural form in most other parts of India; it is most often consumed in processed form, as part of fasting traditions, including during the Hindu festival of Navratri. In Kerala, Kappa was introduced as recently as the 19th century by a visionary king primarily as a famine crop because it is hardy and drought resistant. Since then, it has shed its classist connotations as a poor man’s food, and is served as part of celebratory gatherings, and in high end restaurants. Simi George examines the dichotomous role of tapioca across Indian culinary traditions.  

Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma had a problem on his hands. His kingdom, the princely state of Travancore in present day Kerala, had suffered raging famines. He pondered a difficult question – what could stave off hunger, especially among the poorest, when rice was in short supply? A keen botanist and by all accounts a thoughtful ruler, his explorations led him to cassava, a perennial plant with starchy, tuberous roots that fit the bill perfectly — drought resistant, easy to care for, adaptable to a variety of soil types, and harvestable multiple times a year. Undemanding yet prolifically giving. In his book, Indian Food: A Historical Companion, K.T. Achaya, the eminent food historian documents Visakham Thirunal’s efforts. He notes that the Maharajah himself conducted demonstrations to show his people how the tuber should be prepared, calling for the cultivation of varieties from present day Malaysia and other parts of the world. Some say “kappa”, the Malayalam word for cassava, derives from “kappal”, the Malayalam word for ship, because cassava first arrived in Kerala on ships from abroad. Backed by an evangelistic monarch, kappa became an intrinsic part of Kerala cuisine. It spared the state a terrible fate during a severe rice shortage around World War II. Visakham Thirunal’s reign lasted a mere five years, ending with his death in 1885. But he had left behind a lasting legacy. 

While the spread of cassava in Kerala is attributed to Visakham Thirunal, it had likely been introduced in India well before his reign. There are differing theories on when and how cassava arrived in India. One theory is that early Portuguese settlers brought it with them in the 17th century. Another theory is that it came to India around 1800. Some sources say that the Portuguese first brought it to Goa, others say it may have come from the Philippines to Assam and Bengal. Achaya notes that there may have been more than one point of entry.  

An introduction to kappa

Kappa, also known as “maracheeni” or “kappacheeni" in Malayalam, is native to Brazil, and has been cultivated for over 9,000 years making it one of the oldest food crops in the world. The journey of cassava to other parts of the world runs the bloody trail of colonization. Portuguese colonizers took cassava with them to Africa around the 16th century, and eventually to Asia.  

Sensitive to frost, kappa is cultivated almost entirely in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Kappa offers satiety in exchange for very little. It is a staple in many parts of Africa and the developing world, the primary source of sustenance for around 800 million people globally, earning it the moniker “bread of the tropics”. 

In India, kappa is predominantly cultivated in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. In Kerala, kappa, unquestionably, is our favorite tuber.  

Kerala’s love affair with kappa

Kappa is cooked in many ways in Kerala. In my family, it is traditionally eaten as a puzhukku, a spicy mash in which kappa is cooked with a paste of grated coconut, green chilis, and turmeric. Before it is served, it is showered with a drizzle of curry leaves, dried red chilies, sliced shallots and mustard seeds fried in coconut oil. Kappa puzhukku is often served for breakfast, typically with a fiery red fish curry (“meen curry”), but it is also a perfectly acceptable lunch or dinner. I never stopped to question this combination. Achaya remarks that the pairing is fortunate because kappa is very low in protein. 

Kappa and meen curry is a fixture on the menus of rural toddy shops, a spicy complement to cool, sparkling toddy, a mildly alcoholic drink made from the sap of coconut trees. It is a satisfying meal that farmers and laborers turn to after a day of toil in the hot Kerala sun.  

Kappa is also served with pork and beef curry. Ulli chammanthi (onion chutney), a spicy chutney of shallots and green chillies ground to a coarse paste, drizzled with coconut oil, serves as a vegetarian side. In its simplest form, kappa is consumed as chenda kappa - logs of kappa boiled in salted water. 

Kappa chips, deep fried slices of kappa, are a beloved snack. They’re crunchy but brittle, holding their own against molars, never shattering like potato chips. A regular on a Malayali expatriate’s list of things to carry home from Kerala, they carry the tug of nostalgia for those of us who live elsewhere. In the summer, slices of kappa are dried in the sun to make unakka kappa (dried kappa) so that kappa is within reach even when the fresh variety is hard to come by.  

While kappa was traditionally consumed by farming communities, it has now lost its classist connotations, and is now a thing of feasts. A relatively recent, ingenious invention, kappa biryani is a combination of two of Malayalis’ favorite things - mashed tapioca and beef. It is akin to a biryani inasmuch as the core of the dish – kappa taking the place of rice – is combined with exquisitely spiced meat. The similarity ends there. Biryani is elegance on a plate – a canvas of white rice, streaks of soft yellow saffron, and strokes of golden-brown caramelized onions. Kappa biryani looks like dog food – turmeric stained mashed tapioca combined with dull brown meat. What it lacks in looks, it makes up in taste. When it comes to flavor profile, kappa biryani has more in common with shepherd’s pie, the British classic, than with biryani. Both call for spiced, cooked beef and a tuber mashed until it’s meltingly soft. However, unlike a shepherd’s pie, which calls for attention to assembly – layering minced beef over a bed of mashed potatoes - kappa biryani places no such demands on the cook. The kappa and beef are simply mixed until combined. It is served with no pretentions. Or sides. At the end of the meal, I stagger away from the table, weighed down by the heft of the kappa biryani and a full heart. 

How kappa is consumed outside Kerala

Kappa is not traditionally served in its natural form in the northern and central parts of India, where potato, by far, is the most widely consumed tuber. Kappa, being a tropical plant, takes more naturally to South India’s warmer climate. Potato, on the other hand, isn’t grown widely in South India, let alone Kerala. The Indo-Gangetic plains account for the vast majority of India’s production. 

Preparing kappa is something of a culinary obstacle course. First, you must hack away at the bark-like skin to peel it and expose the milky white flesh before cutting it into pieces. In many parts of the world, kappa is soaked in water for several hours before it is cooked. In Kerala, kappa is typically boiled in salted water fortified by turmeric, known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.   

Soaking and/or boiling are important steps. There can be a lethal edge to kappa. It is often classified into “bitter” and “sweet” varieties, with the bitter varieties carrying notable amounts of cyanide. Cassava’s resistance to pests is attributable to the presence of cyanide compounds. In parts of Africa, cassava has been associated with paralysis, and in some cases, death. Varieties grown in India are not known to be toxic in this way. 

While not a staple, cassava plays an important and unique tole in culinary traditions in the northern and central parts of India. It takes on prominence during Navratri, a nine-day celebration in honour of goddess Durga marking the victory of good over evil. Many Hindu communities mark Navratri by abstaining from a variety of commonly eaten foods, including grains such as rice and wheat (“anna” in Sanskrit). A Sattvik diet – with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables – is favored. This fasting tradition (vrat or upvaas) is rooted both in religion and nutrition. Navratri is celebrated during changing seasons when immunity drops, and it is particularly beneficial to draw on the nutritive benefits of a fruit and vegetable heavy diet. 

Tapioca pearls, also known as sabudana, serves as a stand-in in for grains because it is rich in carbohydrates and has a high calorific count. Produced from tapioca flour, sabudana is consumed mainly in the form of sabudana khichdi and sabudana vada. Sabudana khichdi has gained an international following, having earned a mention in the New York Times which described it as a “delightfully chewy Maharashtrian pilaf studded with the crunch of toasted peanuts, creamy bits of potato, and the occasional cumin seed”. Sabudana vadas – deep fried patties made with soaked tapioca pearls, mashed potatoes, peanuts and assorted spices – are also part of Navratri fasting traditions.    

A Dichotomous Role

In this way, cassava has come to occupy a uniquely dichotomous role in India – a staple that is now part of feasting traditions in one part of the country and a central piece of fasting traditions in another. Born out of an amalgam of factors including history, geographic variances, religion, and the versatility of kappa, this exemplifies the diversity of India’s food traditions. The significance of kappa is likely to grow as we face an increasingly uncertain ecological future. There is growing recognition that hardy crops like kappa which can thrive under a variety of conditions, will have a major role to play in mitigating food insecurity, prompting research into ways to increase yield. Centuries ago, a visionary king in a small corner of the world had already figured it out. 

Mary George’s Recipe for Kappa Puzhukku

Ingredients 
1 kg cassava/kappa 
2 cups grated coconut     
6 shallots  
4 green chillies 
1 tsp mustard seeds   
1 tbsp turmeric powder
2 sprigs curry leaves    
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt, to taste

Method
Peel the cassava to expose the white flesh. Cut it into small pieces, and soak in water. In a pan, take enough water to cover the cassava pieces. Add salt and turmeric. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the cassava. Once the cassava has turned soft, drain the water, coarsely mash the cassava and set aside. 

Next, coarsely grind coconut, green chilies and shallots. Mix this ground mixture with the cassava and cook it on a low flame for two minutes. 

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the tapioca mixture. Serve hot.

Simi is an enthusiastic home cook and baker based in San Francisco. She has previously written for The Hindu and Scroll.in and blogs at http://inveterateglutton.blogspot.com/

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL