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Potato Mappas Recipe | Potato Curry Kerala Style
+Winter is here and besides the usual dishes on our menu, we like to add this Potato Mappas recipe to our festive repertoire. It is a deeply comforting and satisfying dish and brings holiday cheer to our home. Our easy potato mappas recipe can be enjoyed with freshly made appams or rice if appams are unavailable.
Potato mappas Kerala style can be described as a gently spiced potato curry or stew in coconut milk, a simple recipe that elevates the humble spud to special status. It more than does justice to the ever present potatoes in the kitchen that scream to be made in a style different from the usual aloo sabzi, aloo paneer variety.
It is generally agreed that the best potato mappas recipe comes from the Syrian Christian community of Kerala.
Cuisines of Kerala
Food in Kerala is broadly divided into Hindu, Muslim, and Christian cuisines, with each community having their distinct styles of cooking. The potato mappas curry recipe is made in the homes of the Syrian Christians or St. Thomas Christians of Kerala. Mappas usually refers to a chicken stew made with chicken, potatoes, onions, and shallots in light spices and fresh pressed coconut milk, all of which will go into our potato mappas recipe as well. As you move from one region of Kerala to another, the mappas take varied forms. For example, in central Kerala you are likely to come across a similar dish with lamb instead of chicken.
Syrian Christian food at a glance
The Syrian Christian community in Kerala used regional ingredients such as coconut, rice, spices, and seafood which quickly became a part of their own recipes. Coconut milk was, for example, used to replace cream in their vegetable stew and chicken stew or ishtew as the locals call it. Coconut milk made the preparation more flavourful along with the use of local spices such as pepper, coriander, feel, and star anise.
Besides Chicken Mappas and Potato Mappas (known as kizhangu mappas in Malayalam), the Syrian Christians also make Duck Mappas which are served on special occasions. The Meen Pattichattu is their fiery fish-based dish which uses the sour ingredient, kodumbuli. Fish mappas , a spicier version of fish moilee, sometimes known as molee is also made. While the duck preparation derives its flavours from the sweeter spices such as fennel, cinnamon, star anise along with coconut milk, the fish preparation is made using mustard seeds, curry leaves, powdered coriander, and coconut milk. Besides, a traditional Syrian Christian kitchen also serves kozhi pidi or chicken curry with rice and a variety of meat roasts.
Mappas are called 'papas' in some regions as it is the Portuguese term for potatoes. Some believe that the word ‘mappas’ is derived from 'Christmas Papa' as Santa Claus is referred to. The dish is for papa and ‘mappas’ is then, just a tweaked version of the same.
Fun Fact: Mappas is often served as one of the dishes on occasions like baptism.
How to cook potato mappas well:
Since our potato curry Kerala style recipe or potato mappas is a subtly spiced dish, one needs to prepare it with a light touch to arrive at the flavours that define this dish. First, the use of coconut oil in the tempering enhances the flavour manifold. If you like you could use regular vegetable oil, but the traditional potato mappas recipe calls for coconut oil. The coconut oil has to be gently heated before adding mustard seeds and curry leaves or the tempering can burn and turn the dish bitter. Green chillies and chopped ginger add a slight kick of heat and a depth of flavour to the recipe.
Onions and shallots go in next. And this is another stage where you need to be a bit watchful. You need to cook these two ingredients till they turn translucent till just before they start to colour. A touch more and they go brown which is not the desired colour. The idea is to mellow the pungent flavours of the onion and let them render a bit of their sweetness to the dish. The powdered spices i.e. coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, fennel powder (saunf), and salt need to be quickly stirred in to just coat the onions and shallots.
Coconut milk should always be extracted fresh for the flavours in the recipe to shine. It makes a world of difference in any recipe that requires coconut milk and you will surely notice the difference in this potato mappas recipe. However, if you do not have coconuts on hand or are in a hurry, you could use canned coconut milk. Second press coconut milk (thin coconut milk) goes in first and then the potatoes which will simmer along in the spiced coconut milk. First press coconut milk, which is thick, is added towards the end and simmered for just two to three minutes to make this dish creamy and flavourful. Thick coconut milk should not be brought to a boil and boiling changes the flavour.
Watch our step-by-step instructional potato mappas recipe video to guide you through the easy process of making mappas and review the recipe that tells you in detail how it is done.
Serving suggestions for Potato Mappas Kerala Style:
We love our potato mappas curry recipe to be accompanied with appams and idiyappams. You can also serve it with rice or mop it up with a flaky Malabar parotta.
Learn how to make perfect potato mappas at home with our easy recipe and step by step pictures and video
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Kerala Masala Eggs
Queen of Puddings
Fish in Banana Leaf, Moplah Style
Avial
Kaju Katli
Sukha Kala Chana Masala
Kadha for Corona
Prawn Roast Kerala Style
Homemade Condensed Milk
Chicken Biryani, Hyderabad Style
Gobi Masala
Dilli Wali Aloo | Delhi Style Potato Curry
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Kerala Ghee Rice with California Walnuts
If it is just potatoes you want, you can see all our Potato Recipes right here!Or read more in our article on Traditional Indian Cooking Techniques if you have an interest in learning about Indian cuisine.
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RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
20 curry leaves
3 green chillies, each sliced lengthwise into 4
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped
100 grams onions, (about 1 medium onion), thinly sliced
75 grams shallots, each sliced in half
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1⁄2 teaspoon garam masala powder
3⁄4 teaspoon fennel powder (saunf)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 cups thin coconut milk, (2nd press)
500 grams potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized cubes
1 cup thick coconut milk, (1st press)
COOKING METHOD
- Place kadhai or wok over medium heat and pour in coconut oil. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, tip in the black mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, add the curry leaves carefully as they have the tendency to splutter and spit oil. Add the green chillies and chopped ginger and stir well before tipping in the onion and shallots. Sauté, stirring, till the onion and shallots turn translucent and get a hint of colour, 2 to 3 minutes. Note that you do not want to brown the onions.
- Toss in the coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, fennel powder (saunf), and salt. Quickly stir well to coat the onion and shallots evenly. Pour in 2 cups of the thin coconut milk (2nd press) and stir; cook for about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Tip in the cubed potatoes taking care not to splash the hot coconut milk in the kadhai. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, till the potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Pour in thick coconut milk (1st press) and stir gently. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes till heated through. Ensure that the potato mappas does not come to a boil after adding the thick coconut milk.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
Serves: 4 as part of a larger meal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 31 minutes
HIDE RECIPE - Place kadhai or wok over medium heat and pour in coconut oil. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, tip in the black mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, add the curry leaves carefully as they have the tendency to splutter and spit oil. Add the green chillies and chopped ginger and stir well before tipping in the onion and shallots. Sauté, stirring, till the onion and shallots turn translucent and get a hint of colour, 2 to 3 minutes. Note that you do not want to brown the onions.
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Tags:potato mappas recipe, potato mappas curry recipe, potato mappas kerala style
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