Kozhikaal | Thalassery Special Tapioca Snack | Veg Chicken Legs (Step by Step Pics)

Rainy season demands kara mura(crisp) snacks with hot piping tea here at home. How about with you guys? Is it the same ? The snacks can be anything baked or fried but I love savory ones in this season. Here its raining since a few days and this is the perfect time for all bajjis to be fried and enjoyed. But unlike the famous ulli vada, cutlets, palak pakoda this time its a similar pakoda like snack made with tapioca. The name may sound strange for a humble veg snack - 'kozhikaal' as the look wise this snack looks more of a chicken drumstick. I was tasting this snack for the first time and so was apprehensive about the outcome and acceptance. The taste wise it’s crispy outside and soft inside. It doesn't stay crisp for very long so serve hot. To my surprise all loved this snack so had to repeat making the next week itself again 😀

Kids have started their online classes and so these days I hardly get time to hold on the laptop as they are busy on it either attending the classes or jotting notes. Both of them have different time schedule throughout the day and so most of the time the lap is engaged. That's the reason behind my on and off attendance in the page. Hope all my friends are doing good and are safe at home. Anyways coming back to this recipe, some people prepare this snack using maida and rice flour which should be stay more crispier than this version but I refrain using maida wherever possible so haven't tried that way. The pieces should be slender cut but not very thin as the strips may break when mixing up with the batter. If you feel the tapioca is very hard to cut through then immerse the big pieces in hot boiling water for 5 minutes, remove from water and then cut in thin pieces. I have not done this way and have cut directly as I used to cut for making tapioca (kappa) chips but slightly thicker than chips that I posted long back. You can always increase the spice level by increasing the amount of green chillies used. Do give this a try if you get hold of some fresh tapioca and enjoy with a cup of tea !!

Preparation time ~ 10 minutes

Cooking time ~ 20 mins

Author ~ Julie

Serves ~ 12-14 pieces

Ingredients

kappa/ tapioca 300-400gms or one medium sized

besan / kadalamavu 3/4 cup

rice flour / ari podi  1/4 cup

kashmiri chilly powder / mulaku podi 3/4 tsp

turmeric powder / manjal podi  1/3 tsp

asafoetida/ kayam podi a good pinch

garlic cloves 7-8

ginger 1/2’’ piece

green chilies 3

curry leaves few sprig 

salt to taste 

oil to deep fry

Method

• Peel and wash the tapioca after removing the brown and pink skin. Cut length wise in stripes not so thick or thin pieces. Very thin pieces may break while mixing and very thick may not get cooked properly. Refer pic.
• Place in a bowl of water with some salt for half an hour. Or you may cook the big pieces of tapioca by immersing in water for 3-5 mins for easy cutting in stripes. This is required if the tapioca variety is very hard to cut. I have directly cut and not boiled so soaked in salt water for half an hour. Drain all water from tapioca, keep aside.

• Prepare a batter using gram flour, rice flour, spice powders listed above, salt, ginger- garlic - chilly paste. Add water little by little, I used a little more than 1/4 cup to make batter. The batter should be thick enough to coat the pieces well

• Add in the cut tapioca strips, mix gently taking care not to break the strips. The strips should be shaped like a kozhikaal ( chicken drumstick) by holding 7-8 strips together with batter. If it holds shape then the batter is good else add more gram flour.

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• Heat oil in a kadai and wait till oil is hot. Place prepared kozhikaal in oil and wait till it’s cooked one side to flip the other so that the strips are held together with the batter. Deep fry till golden brown. Initially give high heat then reduce or else the inside may not get cooked properly. It may take around 3-4 minutes to cook each batch. Drain on paper towel and then transfer to a dry plate. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea.

NOTES

*Some people prefer making the batter with all purpose flour too which should be stay more crispier than this version but I refrain using maida wherever possible so haven't tried that way. , but gram flour ones tastes better I feel.

* If you feel the tapioca is very hard to cut through then immerse the big pieces in hot boiling water for 5 minutes, remove from water and then cut in thin pieces. 

* You can always increase the spice level by increasing the amount of green chillies used.

* The pieces should be slender cut but not very thin as the strips may break when mixing up with the batter.  

SOME MORE CRISPY SNACKS 
* Mulakku Bajji Nirachathu (Stuffed Mirchi Vada

* Ulli Vada

* Vazhapoo Pakoras 

* Vazhakka bajji 

* Kappa Vada

* Cabbage pakora