Kerala Duck/Tharavu Mappas

Duck Mappas

Tharavu/ Duck mappas is a delicious curry made with aromatic spices and coconut milk. If you are a fan of mild creamy curries cooked with coconut milk, you have come to the right place. Duck mappas is a spiced duck stew, with a peppery undertone and with a touch of sweetness from coconut milk. The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. It is a delicious accompaniment with appam, or Kerala style laced pancake made with fermented rice and coconut batter. Together the flavors and taste are simply unique- a classic Kerala flavor and taste that is hard to describe. I grew up eating this curry, and my mom makes this special stew for Christmas. For many Malayalis, this is a must-have dish on the Christmas menu. Indulge yourself with this delicious creamy curry with appam, puttu, chapati, or freshly baked bread.

Tharavu/ duck recipes are more popular, in central Kerala and regions like Kuttanadu. Water fowls like duck and geese are popular in the Kuttanadu region, and their recipes are to die for! Mappas is a hassle-free recipe with very few ingredients that you can whisk up in no time. Sometimes best of the flavors can be achieved, with simple ingredients, and mappas is a perfect example. There is no grinding of the coconut in this recipe. All you need is thick coconut milk. Freshly squeezed coconut milk adds a lot of flavors, but you can also use canned coconut milk. Predominant flavors are coconut milk, pearl onions, aromatic spices, ginger, and curry leaves. Use coconut oil for authentic Kerala taste. Green chilies, crushed pepper, and chilly powder add heat to the curry. If you like the spicy kick of black pepper, reduce the amount of chilly powder. Give this recipe a try, you will surely love it. Happy cooking!

Kerala Duck/Tharavu Mappas Recipe

Ingredients
Duck cut into pieces- 1 kg
Onion- 1 medium thinly sliced
Pearl onion chopped-1/2 cup
Chopped Ginger- 2 tbs
Garlic- 3- 4 cloves
Green chilly- 2
Tomato- 1 medium
Whole spices- clove- 3 cinnamon- 1 stick
Cardamon- 2, whole pepper- a few
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/3 tsp
Coriander power- 11/2 tsp
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Thin coconut milk- 2 cup.
Vinegar- 1 tbs
Curry leaves- a few
oil and salt to taste

For tempering
Ghee - 1 tsp (optional)
Pearl onion sliced -2
Curry leaves

Clean and wash duck thoroughly, and cut duck into small pieces. Skinning the duck is entirely at your discretion, you can make it skin on or remove the skin and fat for a low-calorie version.
It is best to use a pressure cooker or an instant pot to cook the meat. Add duck meat salt, green chilly, garlic, turmeric powder, and pepper powder and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook. After three to four whistles, switch off the flame and allow it to cool down. You can also cook on the stovetop. Mix all the ingredients and cook on a medium flame for around 25 to 30 minutes.
Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add whole spices and saute for a minute. Add sliced onions, ginger, and curry leaves and saute till golden brown.
Add chilly powder, coriander powder, and fennel powder and stir in low flame. Add the cooked duck pieces, chopped tomatoes, and thin coconut milk. Cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Remove the lid and add the thick coconut milk and finally the vinegar. After a minute, you can switch off the flame. Heat one tsp ghee in a pan and add pearl onion slices and a few curry leaves. Fry till golden brown and pour it over the curry. Serve with appam, bread, or puttu.