Kerala-style chicken stew with mixed vegetables is cooked in coconut oil infused with whole spices and stewed in coconut milk.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Kerala, South Indian
Servings: 3people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken Stew
1tablespooncoconut oil
1small star anise
10cloves
3green cardamom
2inchcinnamon stick
½tablespoonfennel seeds
1teaspoonginger garlic paste
2 to 5green chillies
5 to 8curry leaves
1large red onionchopped finely
800gramsskinless whole chickencurry cut
1teaspoonblack pepper powder
salt to taste
2cupscoconut milk6 tablespoon coconut powder in 2 cups warm water
1cupwaterapprox. enough to barely submerge all the contents in the pot
1large potatochunked
1 to 2carrotdiced
½cupfrozen or boiled green peassoaked in water to bring to room temp
For tempering
2tablespoonscoconut oil
5mini shallotsor half a medium onion, sliced
8whole cashewsbroken
3green chilliesslit
1sprigcurry leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the stew
Heat coconut oil in a deep stew pot on medium flame.
Add all the whole spices and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves and fry until the paste turns golden.
Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent.
Add the chicken along with salt and pepper.
Cover the pot and cook on low to medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally until all the chicken pieces have turned white.
Open and pour the prepared coconut milk, water and chopped potatoes. Stir until everything is mixed well. Continue to stir to prevent the coconut milk from splitting. Stir until the stew warms up. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the chopped carrots and cook covered for 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the thawed green peas and boil for 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Use the back of the ladle to smash some of the potato chunks to add creaminess to the stew. Switch off and prepare the tempering.
Prepare the tempering
Heat the coconut oil in a small pan.
Add the sliced shallots and fry until golden.
Add the cashews, green chillies and some curry leaves. Fry until the onions are almost browned, the curry leaves are crispy and the cashews are golden.
Pour the tempering over the prepared chicken stew and stir it. Serve hot with appam or ghee rice or ari dosha!