Ishtoo is one classic preparation from Kerala. Typical flavors of tapioca, curry leaves and ginger in coconut milk gravy that would simply melt in our mouth. Well this is yet another amazing combination for Kuzhal Pittu; but you can have them like soup too. Freshly ground coconut oil to curry leaves plucked from the tree...We always have everything in stock in our Tharavadu (joint family home) in Kerala.
Our ammamma picks up everything from our garden and makes this fresh. And that lovely smell when it gets boiled simply drives us to the dining room. A magical preparation in no time with very less ingredients but rich with flavors. Good tapiocas give the best gravy!!
Tapioca / Kappa - 450 grams
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (First milk that is the thick milk)
Ginger - 1/2 inch sized piece (sliced thin)
Green chilli - 2 no's (Small, de-seed, Slit in to two)
Curry leaves - 12 leaves
Coconut oil - 1-1/2 tablespoons
Salt - as needed
Water - 2-1/2 cups
Method:
- Clean and cut Tapioca to 1 inch diced pieces. Add diced pieces, green chilli, ginger and salt with water upto the level of tapioca and pressure cook for 3 whistles(Fresh tapiocas cook in 2 to 3 whistles, some take 4 to 5 whistles too).
- Open after pressure is down. Do not drain the water. Cooked tapioca will be light creamy yellow. Keep that back on low fire and add coconut milk. Switch off before it starts to boil(Please don't boil, it spoils the taste). Add coconut oil and curry leaves, give a stir and keep it closed for sometime(15 to 20 minutes).
- Ishtoo is ready to serve.
It gets a little thicker after it cools down. |
My Notes:
- Tapioca's cooking differs based on its quality. some cook in 2 to 3 whistles and some take more time.
- Adding water upto the level of tapioca helps to cook them even and will help the stew to be perfect in consistency though the stew gets thicker after sometime.
- Green chillies can be increased or decreased according to the need.
- Curry leaves play a great role in this recipe, so please do not substitute or avoid.
- Closing and keeping it to rest for sometime after cooking process lets the stew to inherit the flavors of curry leaves and coconut oil.
- We can also prepare this stew with Potato by substituting Tapioca.
- Update : Tapioca need to selected perfectly and sometimes tapioca might be bitter after pressure cooking. so taste before adding.
Happy to link this to "Cooking Healthy in a Hurry" Event at Archana's Kitchen:
Hi Divya,
ReplyDeleteIshtoo seems delicious. I loved to read about the lovely description of ammamma making ishtoo with ingredients fresh from the garden. Your pictures are beautiful.
Thank you namita
DeleteYummy!! stew u are making me hungry now.
ReplyDeleteThank you meena
Deletelooks so yumm.. m a fan of stew
ReplyDeleteThank you kalpana
DeleteQuick one! I would love making this on my lazy weekend :P Was just going through your blog n you know what, I loved ur food-styling :)
ReplyDeleteThank you shruti
Deletelooks so yummy
ReplyDeleteThank you Veena
DeleteNever heard of this , but is looks very healthy and i love soups...tapioca , i dont no where to get it.. Will try to look for it..
ReplyDeleteKeep in touch,
www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com
http://instagram.com/beingbeautifulpooja
Thank you pooja
Deletedelicious recipe
ReplyDeleteThank you ramya
DeleteLooks creamy and quick, tasted once ishtoo with potatoes,have to make some soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you priya
DeleteIts also a popular dish here and I grew up eating loads of it when mummy used to cook for us. Lovely simple flavors and the role of coconut milk is prominent in the dish.
ReplyDeleteThank you dear
DeleteSounds interesting....
ReplyDeleteOngoing Event:Cooking With Love - Sister
Ongoing event- 1st Anniversary winner's choice giveaway
Thank you hetal
DeleteDelicious stew.
ReplyDeleteThank you sona
DeleteStew looks delicious.. I'm here for the first time and I'm glad to be here.. :) Happy to follow you.. Do visit me in your free time!
ReplyDeleteThank you sangeetha...glad to follow you back
DeleteTapioca stew is very new to me. must try..
ReplyDeleteThank you chitra
Deletesuper dear, one healthy, easy and yummy stew... love it will try this for sure...
ReplyDeleteThank you priya
DeleteWould be great for aapams
ReplyDeleteyes vimi, thank you
DeleteKappa stew kollaam...we usually go by making usual kappa vevichathu /chenda kappa/ biriyani ..now I have one more thing to make with it...nice one
ReplyDeleteThank you anupa
DeleteDelicious and nutritious tapioca stew. Looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteDeepa
Thank you deepa
Deletewe always make ishtu with potatoes and vegetable, never heard of it with kappa!! should try during one of the vellappam days... :) thank u for sharing the recipe dear...
ReplyDeleteThank you rafee
DeleteOhh, u r tempting me now Divya :) My mil too makes this.. Feeling nostalgic reading abt the way ur ammamma makes it , fresh from the garden :) I too have experienced that from my mil !!
ReplyDeletenothing matches our farm fresh ingredients right chitz...thank you
DeleteYummy Stew Divya.. It goes perfect with hot steamed rice.. :)
ReplyDeleteShree
http://easycooknbake.blogspot.co.uk/
Thank you shree
Deletesounds superb n lovely clicks dear...
ReplyDeleteThank you preeti
Deletedelicious dear
ReplyDeleteThank you shama
Deleteneed - and I really mean need
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteKappa ishtu adipoli, Next time I will make it.
ReplyDeleteThank you swathi
DeleteHi what a cute nice blog honey you have.....My name si Marie I am a Blogger based in italy and I was wandering if we could follow each other GFC bloglovin
ReplyDeleteLet me know I will ollow back as always! Love Marie.
www.mariezamboli.com
Thank you marie for stopping by...glad to follow you on your fashion blog...
DeleteFollow you back honey thanks <3 can we follow also FB and twitter? I will do the same let me know
ReplyDeletewww.mariezamboli.com
Thank you marie
Deletethis sounds and looks delicious!I know coconut and tapioca is a best combo in any form,we cook both as a curry or even eat boiled tapioca with grated coconut....
ReplyDeleteAnyway,in Sri Lanka,we don't cook ginger and tapioca together.We believe that it can make food poison.Just shared only as info as we have different food culture....
Thank you for sharing Amila...that was something unknown...
DeleteNice one...love the recipe...
ReplyDeleteThank you sushmita
DeleteI absolutely adore your presentation, Divya. It makes an already tempting dish all the more tempting. Nothing beats the freshness of the gardens and the love of our grandma. I can already smell the flavors of the ishtoo here, I will take some of it along. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Arti...
Deletethis is a bowl of comfort for us with some red rice...so yummy :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you guyz
DeleteNice healthy dish, lovely clicks :)
ReplyDeletehttp://kitchenista-welcometomykitchen.blogspot.com
Thank you neela
DeleteNever heard of this... Looks delicious and yummy Divya :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you nilu
DeleteDelicious and perfect :)
ReplyDeleteThank you shanthi
DeleteStew looks wonderful ! love ur presentation and the clicks :)
ReplyDeleteThank you reni
DeleteI have never tried a coconut tapioca stew. I've always considered tapioca as a dessert with a bit of taro. Looks divine!
ReplyDeleteThank you rika
DeleteLovely stew Divya!!
ReplyDeleteThank you dear
DeleteHi Divya,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for sharing this recipe with us. This looks enticing and I thought of preparing it in the same way as you mentioned. Everything came out well but the end result was bitter. Is it because I used the same tapioca stock with which I prepared the stew? One of our acquaintance told us it is because we did not drain the water in which I boiled the tapioca. Could you let me know the probably reason?
Thanks,
Sudipta Mandal,
Sudiptamandal1983@gmail.com
Hi sudipta...
DeleteThank you very much for trying my recipe and giving me a soft comment :).
The only reason the stew became bitter would be because of the quality of tapioca. This is no way your cooking mistake madam. This happens with me too if i dont buy them properly, i can say i turn unlucky choosing them. If you would have tasted the tapioca after cooking you would have recognized that cooked one is bitter. Some tapioca's are naturally bitter sometimes and sometimes our tapioca will not cook to soft...these are two things we face with tapioca and that is the reason i would have mentioned "good tapioca's make good curry and it totally depends on the quality of tapioca"...as someone suggested that is something i do to. After cooking while i check for salt if i feel that as bitter then i drain the water and saute them, i dont make curry because curry taste good when we use that tapioca cooked water along. Thank you for letting me know this problem with tapioca i forgot to mention that in my blog too...i am sure you will love this when you try again selecting a good tapioca. hope my reply will help you. thank you again.
hai i like ur recipes,i cook so many items in ur way,so very tasty and congrats,
ReplyDeleteThank you manju.....am glad you enjoy cooking...
Delete