The Root of the Cassava

Recipe: Kappa / Tapioca Chips

There is something we Malayalees like more than our red-rice and our coconut oil. It is the humble Kappa - the root of the Cassava plant. Also known as Tapioca. Be it with Fish curry, Meat dishes or just a simple roasted red chilli chutney, Kappa will definitely be on the list of favourites of any Keralite. When boiled and cooked in traditional spices, Kappa transforms into this pillow-soft, delicate mash which transports you into foodie heaven right at the first bite.

Last week, we had a lot of kappa from my parent's farm. We ate it in every possible traditionally cooked way and we were thoroughly satisfied. These roots do not keep for long once plucked and hence we had to think of ways to eat them up quickly (And what a joy that is to a foodie!). That is when I remembered my mom had taught me to fry banana chips last Christmas. I thought it would be nice to have some freshly fried kappa chips. The crispy, crunchy wafers were a delight to make as well as eat :)

Brand New 2011 with Quail Eggs

Recipe: Quail Egg Roast

What is it about the beginning of a year that makes people rethink how they've been living and thereby cause them to resolve to change? How come no other month or day of the year evokes such mass resolutions for betterment?

My new year resolution is to exercise and lose weight :). This is similar to my new year resolution for last year and the year before that :P (Oh well!) Being an enthusiastic foodie doesn't help with this resolution. And making healthy food choices all the time is tough so I have upped my daily exercise time from 30 min to 40 min. Exercise is extremely important for a food blogger because not eating is not an option for us. So folks wish me success :)

I was walking down the streets today morning wondering what to cook for lunch. The holiday season had left us tired of all the fancy foods and craving for some simple yet delicious home-fare. That's when I came across Quail Eggs! (woo hoo!) I had never seen quail eggs here in Bangalore. I had eaten these subtle flavoured eggs long back at our hometown in Kerala when MIL had got them for us and boiled them for breakfast one morning. The moment I tried it, I knew these eggs had immense possiblities! No eggy-smell, very nutritious (they are better than chicken eggs), a light flavour. MIL soon educated me on the medicinal uses of these eggs and on how good they are for health. And I was sold. Quail eggs are truly nature's gift to an egg loving world!





Quail eggs have a beautiful shell. In fact I would love to wear it as a pendant if that were possible. (Interesting business proposition with these marbled beauties, don't you think - Quail egg jewellery!) These eggs are tiny as well - just about 1/5th the size of a large chicken egg.