About this recipe

The cassava plant, native to Brazil, found its way across the world to Africa and Asia with Portuguese explorers. Tapioca starch extracted from the fibrous cassava root is used globally as a thickener for sauces and desserts, or to make sago pearls (spheres of starch often used in puddings and in “bubble” tea). In the South Indian state of Kerala, the cassava root, or kappa, its local name, is boiled with turmeric and salt, and the soft, mellow tuber is served alongside spicy curries. In this recipe, cassava is cooked with coconut milk to make a lush, nourishing curry.