Kerala mutton stew is a soul-warming breakfast stew made with tender goat meat and soft potatoes in a fragrant coconut milk broth. With the Instant Pot doing the heavy lifting, you get a deeply flavourful stew in just under an hour.
🔍Quick Look: Kerala Mutton Stew Recipe
What is it?: Tender mutton/lamb/goat with potatoes, whole spices and coconut milk simmered to create a stew that is fragrant, mildly spiced, and perfect for soaking up with appam, idiyappam, or flaky porotta.
Why you'll love it: The Instant Pot cuts down cooking time while ensuring the mutton becomes tender and juicy. The potatoes absorb the aromatic broth, and mashing a few pieces naturally thickens the stew without adding flour or starch.
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 3
- 🔥 Cook Method: Instant Pot / Pressure Cooking
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🎯 Key to Success: Use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavour and always add the thick coconut milk at the end on low heat to keep the stew creamy and smooth.
Jump to:
Growing up, mutton stew was reserved for weekend breakfasts, served with a stack of appams my mother made from scratch. I was also lucky to have grown up around Malayalee Christian neighbours who shared their finger-licking isthu with vellayappam - and if you ever attended their weddings, you'd be surprised how lovingly they serve sliced white bread with stew for breakfast.
This is my Instant Pot adaptation of that stew I grew up loving - just a lot less time standing over the stove. I've tested it enough times to know the real secrets: cooking the meat and potatoes in stages, and mashing a few pieces at the end to give the broth that gentle, satisfying body.
Ingredients Notes
You only need a handful of ingredients to build this stew.
- Coconut oil
- Whole spices like cloves, cinnamon, and star anise.
- Green chillies add a mild heat.
- Freshly ground black pepper provides warmth that runs through the stew.
- Finely chopped onions and ginger create the savoury base.
- Curry leaves add the unmistakable aroma that makes South Indian food so distinctive.
- Mutton, potatoes, and coconut milk bring everything together into a rich and comforting stew.
Refer to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this page for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
What to Serve with Kerala Style Mutton Stew
This stew is incredibly versatile when it comes to serving.
Appam or vellayappam is probably the most classic pairing because its soft centre soaks up the stew gravy beautifully. Idiyappam works just as well, especially for breakfast or brunch.
Flaky Kerala porotta makes the meal feel extra indulgent, while plain steamed rice is perfect when you want something simple and comforting.
In my house, this stew usually becomes dinner one night and an even better breakfast the next morning.
How Long Can You Keep Kerala Mutton Stew?
Leftover stew keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The stew tastes even better the next day. To reheat, bring to room temperature and warm gently on the lowest flame, adding a splash of water if needed. Avoid boiling to keep the coconut milk from splitting.
Lessons Learnt
Don't saute the onions for too long. You want the onions softened, not golden. Any colour on the onions or meat will darken the stew and alter its gentle flavour. We don't want that. Kerala stew is known for its pale, delicate look. This is why I skip searing the meat entirely.
And between us, the first time I tested this in the Instant Pot, I added the mutton and potatoes together. Unless you want a thick, mushy stew with no trace of potato, cook them in stages. It was still delicious - but the potatoes did not survive to tell the tale. 🙂
Related Recipes
You can also explore my full range of meat and poultry recipes, where I share everyday dishes, festive favourites, and practical meals that work well for small households.
- One-Pot Chicken Donne Biryani Recipe
- Chicken Changezi Recipe - The Iconic Old Delhi Street Curry
- Chicken Hyderabadi Curry Recipe (dum ka murgh)
- Keema Biryani Recipe
If you love cosy gravies like this one, you might like browsing through my collection of curries and stews, where you will find everything from comforting homestyle curries to coconut-based gravies similar to this Kerala mutton stew.
- Moru Curry without Coconut (Buttermilk Curry)
- Dal Fry Recipe with Chana Dal
- Khatti Meethi Dal (Gujarati Dal)
- Afghani Chicken Curry
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📖 Recipe Card
Kerala Mutton Stew with Coconut Milk (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot, pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 3 green chillies, slit
- 2 medium-sized red onions, chopped finely
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 1 sprig curry leaves, divided
- 500 grams mutton or lamb, bone or boneless, see notes
- 1 tablespoon black pepper powder, freshly ground
- salt to taste
- 1½ cup thin coconut milk, (see notes)
- 500 grams potatoes, chopped large chunks (3 to 5)
- 1 cup thick coconut milk, (see notes)
Instructions
- Turn on Sauté mode. Once Hot, add coconut oil, whole spices, green chillies, ginger, onions and a few curry leaves. Sauté until onions soften.1 tablespoon coconut oil2 cloves1 inch cinnamon stick1 star anise3 green chillies slit2 medium-sized red onions chopped finely1 inch ginger minced½ sprig curry leaves divided
- Cancel Sauté. Add the mutton, freshly ground pepper, thin coconut milk and salt. Give it a mix.500 grams mutton or lamb bone or boneless, see notes1 tablespoon black pepper powder freshly ground1½ cup thin coconut milk (see notes)salt to taste
- Close the lid and set Pressure Cook mode on High for 10 to 12 minutes. 10 mins for younger/tender cuts, 12 for tougher cuts.
- Let pressure release Naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully do a Quick release.
- Open and add the potato chunks, and once again, pressure cook on high for 2 to 3 mins, and then carefully do a Quick release.500 grams potatoes chopped large chunks (3 to 5)
- Open and mash some of the potato pieces with the back of the ladle to thicken the stew.
- Turn on Sauté mode on Low and gently stir in the thick coconut milk. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Do not let it boil. Turn off and remove the inner pot to stop the cooking.1 cup thick coconut milk (see notes)
- Stir in the remaining fresh curry leaves before serving with idiyappam, porotta or rice and enjoy!½ sprig curry leaves divided
Notes
- Mutton or Goat meat: Depending on the type, the cooking time will vary. Rinse and trim excess fat, then cut them into similar sizes.
- You may boil the potatoes separately, then add them to the cooked mutton stew and simmer. This can work when you already have some boiled potatoes or have made a big batch of boiled potatoes for multiple recipes, etc.
- For thin and thick coconut milk: If you have the means and time, make your own from fresh, grated coconut. You may also use canned coconut milk - dilute for thin and use as is for thick.
- My go-to option is to use coconut milk powder. Follow the pack instructions for best results, or use my guide:
- Thin coconut milk: 1 tablespoon coconut milk powder in 1½ cups of warm water.
- Thick coconut milk: 2 tablespoon coconut milk powder in 1 cup of warm water
Nutrition Info
Nutritional values are approximate and will vary based on ingredients used.
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