Thursday, April 9, 2015

Vegetable Stew/Kerela Special

                                                                   Vegetable stew is a simple and easy mildly flavoured side dish usually served with appams.The addition of whole spices ginger and fresh coconut milk makes the subzi very aromatic and tasty.It is very popular in Kerela state and often called "Ishtu" is paired with appams and sometimes with Idiappams which makes a wholesome breakfast.
                  I usually don't  make a elaborate breakfast so i make it only for dinner.The stew and appams are very light on the stomach especially at the dinner time.
You will Need
  • One Large Onion
  • One Large Potato
  • One Carrot
  • Four Beans
  • One Cauliflower floret
  • Few Green peas
  • 2-3 green chillies slit
  • One tbs Coconut Oil
  • Two Cardamom
  • One small Bay leaf
  • Two Cloves
  • One small cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp shreded Ginger
  • Few Curry Leaves
  • Thin Coconut milk11/4 cup
  • Thick coconut milk 3/4 cup
  • Few Peppercorns crushed
  • Salt to taste

How to
1.Chop the vegetables little lenghtwise as shown in the picture and keep aside.Scrape the coconut and keep aside.
 2.Heat coconut oil in a pan and crackle cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and bay leaf(optional)
3.Add sliced onions,ginger and green chillies and fry for few minutes.It need not brown
4.Meanwhile grind the coconut and take squeeze the first milk with help of a strainer.
5.Add some more water and grind the coconut again and take out the milk.
6.Add the chopped vegetables to the onion add water and boil.Once it is almost boiled add the second coconut milk and boil further till the vegetables are soft.Mash a few potato pieces for the gravy to thicken.
 7.Add the thick coconut milk and simmer it for two minutes and switch off the stove.
 8.Add some freshly pound pepper.
 9.Garnish with some curry leaves.
Enjoy the stew with some appam or idiappam!!!!!!                                                                               

Notes
  • You can add cashewnut paste for making the gavy a little thicker.
  • You can boil the vegetables earlier and reduse the use of coconut milk.
  • Ginger is very important for the recipe so do not omit it.
  • If you prefer you can add some crushed garlic while frying the onions.