Kappayerachi /Kappa Erachi (Tapioca with Beef)

Kappayerachi or Kappa Erachi is a wonderful dish from God’s Own Country – Kerala. It is a combination of Kappa (Yuca or tapioca) and Erachi (Beef). Kottayam Style Kappayerachi is very special. Cooked Tapioca and beef are simmered in a paste of fried coconut and spices, which makes this dish heavenly. You can have Kappayerachi as an entire Meal or as a Side Dish or as an evening Snack. It is left to you 🙂

KappaYerachi is different from Kappa Biriyani. Kappa Biriyani doesn’t have coconut and is merely a mixture of Seasoned Tapioca and Beef. I have tried both Kappa Biriyani and Kappa Erachi but Kappa Erachi definitely tastes far better.

Here is an authentic recipe for Kappa Erachi shared by my dear Mom-in-law. You need to use beef with extra fat to get a rich taste. The health conscious can go for lean beef though the taste wont be as good as the authentic one. I make KappaYerachi only once in a while but when I make it, we can’t stop eating and relish it till the last bit 🙂

Ingredients

1. Yuca/Tapioca (Peeled and Cubed into bite size pieces) – 4 lbs (2 kgs approx)
2. Beef (Cubed into bite size pieces) – 1.5 lbs
3. Salt – to taste

For Marinating Beef

1. Diced Shallots (Kunjulli) – 8
2. Minced Garlic – 5 or 6 cloves
3. Minced Ginger – 2 tbsp
4. Slit Green Chillies – 2
5. Home Made Garam Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
6. Meat Masala Powder – 2 tbsp (I use Eastern Meat Masala Powder)
7. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
8. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
10. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
11. Curry Leaves – A sprig
12. Vinegar –  1 tbsp (optional)
13. Salt – to taste

For Boiling Tapioca

1. Salt – to taste
2. Turmeric – A pinch
3. Water- As needed

For Dry Roasting and Grinding

1. Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut – 2 cups
2. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
3. Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
4. Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
5. Garam Masala Powder – 2 tsp
6. Shallots (Kunjulli) – 6
7. Curry Leaves – A sprig
8. Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves

Home Made Garam Masala Powder

You can dry roast and grind the following ingredients to make Fresh Garam Masala Powder.

1. Cloves (Gramboo) – 10
2. Cardamom (Elakka) – 4
3. Cinnamon stick (Patta/Karukapatta) – 2 pieces of 1” inch length each
4. Star Anise (Thakkolam/Nakshathra Poo) – 1
5. Fennel seeds (Perinjeerakam) – 1 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Wash the beef thoroughly and drain all water.
2. Marinate the beef with all the above ingredients and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil the tapioca pieces along with salt and a pinch of turmeric until tender. Be careful not to overcook the tapioca.
4. Drain the water and keep the tapioca pieces aside.
5. Pressure cook the marinated beef with 1/2 cup water (optional). I never use water since beef will let out water. The cooking time varies depending on the beef used. For stew beef, I pressure cook it on medium heat for 2 whistles. The beef which we get in Kerala has a longer cooking time whereas the beef in US cooks in no time. So pressure cook accordingly (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cover and cook the beef in any big pan for around 45 minutes to 1 hour).
6. Meanwhile, heat a non stick pan and dry roast grated coconut, shallots, garlic and curry leaves until the coconut turns to a nice brown color.
7. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilly powder and garam masala powder. Fry for 2 minutes.
8. Grind all the dry roasted items with very little water to form a thick paste.
9. Open the pressure cooker and transfer the Cooked Beef without gravy to a Big Pan or Wok.
10. Add the cooked tapioca pieces to the same pan, followed by ground coconut paste.
11. Take around 1/2 to 1 cup of gravy from the cooked beef and add it to the pan. Mix everything lightly. Add more salt if needed.
12. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
13. If you feel the dish is dry, add more gravy from the cooked beef .
14. After ten minutes, remove lid and mix everything thoroughly. Be careful not to fully mash all the pieces. The dish should have some chunks of tapioca and beef.
15. Enjoy this yummy Kappayerachi.