Maravalli kilanzhu / Tapioca masala

There was a mood of festivity at home. Everyone looked cheerful and the house was packed with guests. There were giggles and gossips in every corner of the house. Chennai's torrential rain wasn't really hampering our together times. Sun hardly smiled at us today, rain kept singing aloud the entire day, heavy traffic on the roads, knee-length water everywhere, power-cut for more than 12hrs -- it wasn't a pleasant day for others but we guys had a lovely time together.

Hot, spicy and steamy stomach filling meal is just apt for this weather. My grandmum had decided our menu for the brunch that day. She just needed suggestion on the side dish. We wanted something spicy, crunchy and also fun to cook together.We always crave for the dishes made from our country vegetables. She had brought tapioca from our village, so the unanimous decision was to have tapioca cooked in a spicy coconut masala. This is one of my grandmum's signature recipe and it tastes great with rasam.

Ingredients

1/2 kg tapioca/maravalli kezhangu

2 onions

1/2 tbs ginger-garlic paste

10-12 curry leaves

1/2 tbp Chilli powder

4tsp Coriander/dania powder

1/2 cup shredded coconut (fresh/dessicated)

1tsp fennel seeds

4 tbs Oil

Salt

Garam masala:

2 Cloves]

2 Cardamon

1/2'' Cinnamon stick

Method

Grind the coconut and fennel seeds with little water to a fine paste and keep aside.

Dry roast the garam masala ingredients. Cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat the oil in kadai. Add the powdered masala, ginger-garlic paste and curry leaves and stir for few seconds.

Saute the onions till brown in the tempered oil. Add the cubed tapioca with little salt and let them cook for a couple of min.

Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Cook till the raw smell disappears. It would take about 3-5min.

Add the coconut-fennel seeds paste now and mix them all together well. Pour in 3 cups of water and close the lid. Let them cook for 20-30min till the tapioca turns soft.(Add excess water if necessary)

Adjust salt to taste.