Stew is a delicacy of the Keralites. They prepare stew with vegetables as well as with non-vegetarian ingredients. Here I will be dealing with the vegetable stew. It is usually had with Idiyappam or Vellayappam or toasted or raw bread. Coconut milk is the key ingredient. You get to buy coconut milk in the market but I use the one prepared directly from coconut. I find it tastier than the one you get to buy from the market. Now this dish is having onions but I have not used garlic in this dish since I do not like the taste of it but you can surely add it if you want to.
Ingredients needed in the preparation of vegetable stew
You need
- 1 medium sized potato cut into cubes
- 1 small carrot or half of a big one cut into cubes
- 1 medium sized onion
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 1 or 2 green chilies (or on your spiciness level)
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil
- Water as required
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup of first coconut milk
- 1 ½ cup each of second and third coconut milk
- (If you are using the coconut milk available in the market please see the instructions given for the preparation of the same on the sachet/packet)
For the masala
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 inch piece cinnamons stick
- 1 or 2 cardamom (To give flavor and taste)
- 7 to 8 pepper corns
Method
Now before getting into the details of preparation of vegetable stew I will first explain how to extract coconut milk. If you are beginner then read on or else skip and go directly to the preparation of vegetable stew.
Extraction of coconut milk
Even before you start your preparation of the stew it is advisable that you extract and keep the coconut milk first. Once this is done then the rest of the procedure is just simple.
As a first step to extract the amount of coconut milk that I have mentioned in my ingredients I would suggest you take a medium size coconut. Use raw coconut for extraction of milk than the dried one. Grate it and keep aside.
Now make some luke warm water and keep aside. This is for easy extraction of coconut milk.
Now add the grated coconut into a mixer grinder add a little luke warm water and grind to a coarse paste.
Now transfer the paste to a clean towel (I would suggest Kerala style towels ‘Thorthu’ in Malalyalam. They can be cleaned easily and squeezed also easily. It acts as good strainer that coconut particles do not fall in the milk while squeezing). Squeeze out the milk thoroughly with your hands into a wide mouth container. Your first coconut milk is ready. See that you do not throw away the coconut in the towel after squeezing. Put it back in the mixer grinder.
Now that you have added the coconut from the towel obtained after squeezing into the mixer grinder. Add some luke warm water into the mixer and repeat the procedure of squeezing coconut milk into another wide mouth container. This is your second coconut milk.
Repeat the procedure exactly to obtain the third coconut milk.
Now your first, second and third coconut milk are ready. Keep aside and follow the rest of the steps.
Method for preparation of the stew
Pressure cook the carrots and potatoes adding salt in a pressure cooker. The method I follow is as given below. Put the diced carrots and potatoes in the separator of the pressure cooker or if you do not have one go for a wide mouth vessel. Sprinkle a bit of salt on top. Remember you have got to add salt to your stew as well so add salt accordingly. No need to add water to the vegetable pieces. Mix thoroughly and keep in the cooker. Simmer the cooker for 3 to 5 minutes after one whistle and then remove from flame.
While the vegetables are cooking, dice the onions, slit the green chillies, mince the ginger and coarsely powder the cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper and keep aside.
Heat coconut oil in a kadai. Add the green chilies and sauté them for a few second till the green color goes off. Then add the ginger, onions and the coarsely ground masala. Sauté until onions become translucent.
Add the cooked vegetables.
Add the second and third coconut milk. You can add water at this stage (Hot or luke warm water preferred) if you feel that the dilution of the stew is insufficient.
One this is boiled add the first coconut milk and simmer the flame.
Once you see small bubbles appearing from the sides it is time to switch off the flame.
Serve warm with idiyappam or vellayappam, toasted or raw bread.
Tips
Use freshly prepared coconut milk to get the real taste of the stew.
Always go for coconut oil in the preparation of the stew
Do not boil the stew after adding the first milk it will result in curdling of the coconut milk
Usually in the preparation of the stew we cook all the vegetables in the third coconut milk then add the second and once the vegetables are fully cooked we add the first coconut milk. Since I am using already cooked vegetables I have added the second and third coconut milk together.
You can also use vegetables like beans and fresh green peas to the stew.
If you wish to increase the richness of the stew then you can add cashew nuts along with vegetables while cooking in second and third coconut milk.
