cooking · Main Course
Kappa Biriyani (Ellum Kappem)
From a video by MrChef · 9 min watch
Kerala-style tapioca and beef bone mash (kappa biriyani or ellum kappem) made with roasted coconut, spices, and finished with a thick gravy. Popular street-food style dish from Kottayam Christian families, now enjoyed across Kerala.
Main CourseKeralaMalabarIndian

Source video — MrChef on YouTube
From the creator
Total time
~1 hour 45 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Hands-on
~15 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
EasyEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Extraction confidence: high
Auto-generated from the video and rewritten in our own words. Double-check quantities against the source before cooking.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled to 6 servings
- 1 kg beef with bone
- 1 kg tapioca
- 4 onion
- 50 g shallot
- garlic
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 5 curry leaves
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup water
- ½ tbsp peppercorn
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- ½ tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 ¼ tbsp garam masala
- 1 ½ tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ tbsp chili powder
- tomato, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
- Step 1Slice 4 medium onions and 50 g shallots; set aside. Crush 1/2 tbsp peppercorns. Crush together ginger, garlic, and 9 green chilies.
- Step 2Heat a pan on low flame. Add 1 cup grated coconut and 2 stems curry leaves. Roast, stirring constantly. When color begins to change, add 1 tbsp coconut oil and continue roasting on simmer until dark golden brown but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl.
- Step 3Wash 1 kg beef with bone and good fat content. Place in a pressure cooker. Add 1 tbsp salt, half the crushed ginger-garlic-green chili, 3/4 tbsp garam masala, 1 stem curry leaves, half the sliced onions and shallots, and 1 cup water. Mix well, cover, and pressure cook until meat separates from bone. Set aside.
- Step 4Peel and cut 1 kg tapioca. Place in a pot with enough water to cover, 1 tbsp salt, and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook until soft, then drain.
- Step 5Heat a large pan and add 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and let crackle. Add 1 tsp fennel seeds, 3-4 stems curry leaves, and the remaining crushed ginger-garlic-green chili. Sauté until golden. Add the remaining sliced onions and shallots and fry until golden brown. Push to the side of the pan, lower flame, and add 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1.5 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, 0.5 tbsp chili powder, 0.5 tbsp garam masala, and 0.5 tsp turmeric powder. Roast on very low flame for about 30 seconds until raw smell disappears. Mix with the onions.
- Step 6Add the cooked beef (with its gravy) to the pan. Mix thoroughly and cook on high flame until spices coat the meat and gravy thickens with fat rising to the top.
- Step 7Add the cooked and drained tapioca to the pan on low flame. Add the roasted coconut and curry leaves. Let sit for 1 minute, then mix everything together, crushing some of the tapioca pieces. Adjust to a consistency that is neither too dry nor too watery. Simmer briefly. Add crushed peppercorn to taste.
- Step 8Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped onion, tomato, optional coriander leaves, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Use beef with approximately 80% meat and 20% fat for best flavor.
- Choose large tapioca for optimal taste.
- Roast coconut on low flame to achieve dark golden brown color without burning.
- The final consistency should be moist but not watery; crush some tapioca while mixing.
- Best served with mango or lemon pickle and black coffee.