SERVES 2
Tapioca polenta is a very popular breakfast or afternoon tiffin dish in India. Tapioca was not native to India. It was brought there from Africa by the king of the Indian state of Kerala around 1880-1885 when his kingdom had a famine and there was a shortage of rice. Now tapioca pearls are widely used, not just in Kerala, but the whole of India to make many savory snacks and sweet desserts.
1 cup tapioca pearls (sabudana)
¼ cup peanuts
2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee) or coconut oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 to 2 green chili (chopped or slit)
1 medium boiled potato (cook till the potato is boiled but stiff firm)
½ tsp salt
2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1 Add the tapioca pearls to a wide bowl and pour 2-3 cups of water. Wash tapioca pearls gently and drain the water completely. Repeat this step about 2-3 times to remove the excess starch form the pearls.
2 Pour ¾ cups of water in the bowl and soak the pearls for 5-6 hours till they absorb all the water and become soft. I prefer to soak them overnight. Do not add more than ¾ cups of water for 1 cup of the pearls. Too much water will make them soggy.
3 Once the pearls are soaked, transfer them to a colander so that any excess water is removed. Set aside.
4 Dry roast 4 tbsp of peanuts in a heated pan till they turn aromatic, about 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring the peanuts to prevent them from burning. After roasting, pulse them in a nut grinder (or a food processor) for a few seconds till the peanuts are crushed. Do not pulse for too long as this will powder the peanuts. Set aside.
5 Heat the coconut oil or ghee in a pan. I prefer to use coconut oil. Once it is hot add the cumin, ginger, chilies and curry leaves, and sauté them for a minute.
6 Add cubed boiled potatoes and sauté them for a minute or two.
7 Add the soaked tapioca pearls to a bowl and mix in the salt and ground peanuts.
8 Increase the flame to high and add the tapioca pearls to the pan.
9 Sauté the tapioca pearls by stirring very gently for 2-3 minutes. Overcooking them will make them sticky.
10 Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze in the in the lime juice and add finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix the lime juice by stirring very gently. This will help release some of the tapioca pearls that are stuck to each other.
Serve the tapioca polenta with salty or sweetened yogurt.
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