Kerala Beef Kadachakka Curry (Beef with Breadfruit)
A Cherished Kerala Christian Classic
In traditional Kerala Christian households, pairing meat with local root vegetables and hearty fruits has always been a culinary art form. Classic pairings like pork with koorkka (Chinese potato), beef with raw plantain (kaya), and beef with Kadachakka (breadfruit) were born in family kitchens where mothers fed bustling households by stretching flavorful cuts of meat into rich, satisfying meals. This Beef Kadachakka Curry is one of those timeless treasures—a comforting combination of tender, spiced beef and velvety soft breadfruit simmered in a luscious coconut milk gravy.
Breadfruit might look humble and taste mild on its own—much like a potato—but when simmered gently in spiced coconut milk, it transforms. It drinks in the earthy aromatics of freshly dry-roasted whole spices, black pepper, and fennel, yielding a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture that balances the savory richness of beef. While some families prepare this in a dark, roasted coconut (varutharacha) style, simmering it Mappas-style in delicate thin and thick coconut milk lets the natural sweetness of the breadfruit shine through without overpowering the spices.
This recipe holds a warm place in my heart. During travel restrictions, a fresh breadfruit generously handpicked from my uncle and aunt’s neighbor’s yard in Kerala made its way to my kitchen. Following my aunt’s advice to simmer the breadfruit in coconut milk brought back instant nostalgia of family gatherings, church feasts, and comforting Sunday lunches.
Helpful Cooking Tips & Techniques
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Selecting the Right Breadfruit (Kadachakka): Always pick a mature, firm, unripened breadfruit. It should have a greenish-yellow skin with widely spaced, flattened exterior thorns. Avoid soft or brownish fruits (which are sweet and ripe, suitable only for desserts/fritters) or dark green fruits with tightly packed prickles (which are immature and fibrous).
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Preventing Sticky Hands & Discoloration: Breadfruit secretes a sticky white sap when cut. Rub a few drops of coconut oil onto your knife blade and palms before peeling. Once peeled and cored, immediately transfer the cut cubes into a bowl of lightly salted water to keep them from oxidizing and turning brown.
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Freshly Roasted Meat Masala: The soul of this curry lies in whole spices toasted on a gentle flame—fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Toasting blooms the essential oils, creating a deeply fragrant, authentic masala that store-bought powder cannot match.
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Two-Stage Coconut Milk Simmer: Cook the breadfruit cubes separately in thin coconut milk (randaam paal) until tender before marrying them with the cooked beef. Always add the thick first-press milk (thala paal) at the very end on low heat, turning off the flame before it boils to prevent curdling.
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Kerala Beef & Meat Specialties
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Kerala Beef Ularthiyathu (Traditional Beef Roast) – Slow-roasted beef bites with coconut slivers and crushed pepper.
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Traditional Kerala Beef Stew – Mild, velvety beef and vegetable stew infused with whole spices and coconut milk.
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Kerala Pork and Koorkka Roast – A Central Travancore delicacy combining seasoned pork and Chinese potato.
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Classic Nadan Mutton Curry – Hearty, homestyle mutton curry simmered in fragrant onion-tomato gravy.
Coastal & Coconut Curries
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Authentic Duck Mappas – Tender duck cooked in a gently spiced coriander and coconut milk gravy.
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Karimeen Mappas – Pearl spot fish simmered in creamy coconut milk with ginger and green chillies.
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Kadachakka Mappas (Vegetarian Breadfruit Curry) – A purely vegetarian take on breadfruit in seasoned coconut milk.
Perfect Breads & Accompaniments
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Soft & Lacy Kerala Palappam – Fermented rice and coconut hoppers with crisp lace edges.
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Flaky Kerala Malabar Parotta – Layered, buttery flatbread that mops up rich curries beautifully.
Kerala Beef Kadachakka Curry (Beef with Breadfruit)
Ingredients
Special Freshly Ground Meat Masala
- 1 tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns
- 1.5 tbsp Fennel Seeds Perumjeera / Saunf
- 5 pods Green Cardamom
- 2 small sticks Cinnamon
- 5 pieces Whole Cloves
- 1 piece Star Anise
- 1 piece Dried Bay Leaf
- 0.75 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1.5 tbsp Coriander Powder
For the Beef Gravy
- 1 kg Beef cut into medium curry pieces, preferably with slight fat
- 1.5 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 15 cloves Garlic sliced
- 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger finely chopped
- 2 medium Red Onions thinly sliced
- 2 pieces Green Chillies slit lengthwise
- 1 medium Tomato chopped
- 2 sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves
- 2 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Salt adjust to taste
- 0.25 cup Water as needed for sautéing
For the Kadachakka (Breadfruit)
- 1 medium Kadachakka / Breadfruit mature, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1.5 cups Thin Coconut Milk Randaam Paal
- 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 piece Green Chilli slit
- 1 sprig Fresh Curry Leaves
- 0.5 tsp Salt adjust to taste
Finishing & Tempering (Thalichathu)
- 1 cup Thick Coconut Milk Thala Paal
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tbsp Shallots / Small Onions finely sliced
- 2 pieces Dried Whole Red Chillies halved
- 1 sprig Fresh Curry Leaves
Instructions
Prepare the Fresh Spice Masala
- Heat a pan and dry roast the whole spices – Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Fennel seeds, Star Anise and Bay leaf.
- Add Pepper corns and fry.
- After a minute switch off the flame and add turmeric, coriander and chilli powders and mix well. Allow to cool.
- Dry grind the spices and keep aside – this is the special meat masala.
Pressure Cook the Beef
- Clean the beef well, squeeze out water and keep aside.
- Heat a Pressure Cooker. Pour 1 ½ tbsp Coconut oil.
- Add Sliced Garlic (15 cloves) and fry for few seconds.
- Then add chopped Ginger, slit green chillies, curry leaves and sliced onion.
- Sauté for few minutes, add ½ tsp salt and fry till onion is limp.
- Next, add chopped tomatoes and fry till slightly mashed.
- Add the ground meat masala and fry adding little water in intervals to avoid burning masala.
- Put the Beef, add enough salt, vinegar and mix well.
- Cover and pressure cook till done.
Cook the Breadfruit (Kadachakka)
- Discard the outer skin of the Kadachakka, remove the central core and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Put in salt water.
- Cook Kadachakka in 1 ½ cup thin coconut milk, ½ tsp Turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves and one green chilli, till soft.
- Make sure to stir in between and cover and cook on medium flame.
Combine, Simmer & Temper
- Take the cooked beef and bring to a boil.
- Add the cooked Kadachakka and combine well.
- Simmer for few minutes and allow it to soak the flavours of the spices.
- Adjust salt to taste.
- Add 1 cup thick Coconut milk (Thala Paal), mix well and switch off the flame.
- For garnishing, heat coconut oil in a pan, splutter mustards, fry small onions and curry leaves and add dried red chilli. Enjoy the rich and flavorful Beef and Kadachakka Curry!!
Video
Notes
- How to choose and prepare fresh breadfruit (Kadachakka)? Select firm breadfruits with greenish-yellow skin and widely spaced surface nodules; avoid mushy or brownish fruits as they are ripe and sweet. Because the fruit exudes sticky sap, lightly grease your hands and knife with coconut oil before peeling and coring. Keep cut pieces submerged in salted water until cooking to prevent oxidation.
- Can I substitute Mutton or Chicken for Beef? Yes! Mutton can be substituted in equal weight and prepared using the exact same pressure-cooking steps. If using chicken, reduce the spice powder slightly, marinate the pieces with half the ground spice masala and vinegar, lightly pan-fry them, and simmer directly with the breadfruit in a pan without pressure cooking (since chicken cooks much faster).
- Serving suggestions and storage instructions: This curry pairs exceptionally well with Kerala rice, hot appams, flaky Malabar parottas, chapatis, or crusty bread. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low flame; avoid boiling rapidly to preserve the emulsion of the thick coconut milk.
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Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Thank you Ashok for your encouraging message. Keep visiting!