Vegetable Stew

Vegetable stew is a Kerala style coconut milk based gravy made with an array of veggies. Veg Stew or Ishtu as it is popularly known in Kerala is a side dish that is commonly served with Aapam and Idiyappam.

Veg stew is a mildly spiced gravy with the dominant flavour coming out of the whole spices and the subtle sweetness of coconut milk. No dry masala powders are used in this dish which makes it quite unique.

Many tend to think that Veg Stew and Veg Kurma available in the southern India are the same, which is not true. While the Veg Kurma is made with a coconut based ground masala (also containing spices), the veg stew does not use any ground masala. The coconut is used in the form of coconut milk and the spices are used as whole spices, hence it is subtly spiced as compared to the Kurma.

Veg stew is really a quick and simple dish and can be easily made for breakfast items like Aapam and Idiyappam. The only time consuming activity in this dish is the preparation of the coconut milk. While store bought coconut milk could be used for this dish, I always prefer freshly extracted coconut milk as it tastes great and fresh.

Talking about the veggies which are used in the stew, the most common ones are carrots, french beans, potato, cauliflower, green peas and onions. Tomatoes are not used in this recipe. Though these are the conventional veggies that are used in stew, you can also use other veggies of your choice.

One important thing to note is that the veggies must be cut into uniform size as they all are cooked together and it is to be ensured that none of the veggies get over-cooked or remain under-cooked. I always prefer dicing the veggies lengthwise as it does not get mushy while cooking and at the same time it looks pleasing.

As mentioned earlier, stew is a mildly spiced dish and only whole spices are used in this dish. The commonly used whole spices are bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Green chillies are used for the heat and a small amount of ginger garlic paste and curry leaves for the flavouring. This dish uses minimum oil and is required only for the initial sautéing and preferably coconut oil is used for added flavour.

In this recipe, I will also be talking about the steps to extract coconut milk from grated coconut which is literally the main ingredient of this dish. Fresh coconut milk works best for stew, however you could also store bought coconut milk. When we extract coconut milk at home, we normally refer to the extracts as first, second and third extract. The first extract is the thickest and creamiest form and the remaining extracts are relatively thinner.

Some tips and precautions

How to avoid splitting or curdling of coconut milk? This is one of the most common issues while making stew or any other coconut milk based dishes. To avoid this, always add the second and third extract coconut milk first and just simmer on low flame while continuously stirring and never boil it. Add the final extract coconut milk just before turning off the flame and mix well (do not cook further)

Why is my stew not white in colour? Vegetable stew is meant to be white in colour and some face an issue in retaining this colour. The most common culprit for a stew turning light brown or yellowish in colour is the roasting of onions. While we tend to cook onions till it is golden brow for most Indian curries, but this dish is an exception. The onions must be cooked on low flame till it just starts sweating and the remaining veggies should be added immediately.

If you are using store bought coconut milk – Store bought coconut milk does not come in separate packs like first or second extract and if you look at either the canned or tetra pack coconut milk, you would notice that it would be too thick at the bottom and watery at the top, so it is important to shake and mix the coconut milk well, before adding to the stew. You can add this coconut milk after the veggies are almost completely cooked and just simmer for two to three minutes.

Serving Suggestion

Vegetable stew is best paired with Aapam, Idiyappam and Sevai as a side dish. You could also pair this with Kerala Parotta as a side dish as well.

Vegetable Stew

Kannan

Vegetable stew is a Kerala style coconut milk based gravy made with an array of veggies like carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas, onions and potatoes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala, South-Indian

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  

• 150 grams Cauliflower
• 150 grams Beans
• 3 Carrots
• ½ cup Fresh Green Peas
• 1 Onion large
• 2 Potatoes
• Grated Coconut from half of a large coconut
• 4 Green Chillies
• 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
• 1 heap tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 inch Cinnamon
• 3 Green Cardamom pods
• 3 Cloves
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Grate the white flesh of half of a large sized coconut.
• Now grind this grated coconut with around ½ cup of hot water in a mixer grinder.
  
• Now using a coconut milk strainer or a sieve, strain the milk out of the ground mixture. Press hard to squeeze the milk out of the mixture.
  
• We now have the first extract coconut milk which would be thick. This should be roughly 1 cup of coconut milk. Keep this separate.
  
• Now transfer the leftover coconut mixture back to the mixer and add another ½ cup hot water and grind again. Strain the mixture as above in a separate container. This is the second extract coconut milk
• Repeat the process one more time to get the third extract coconut milk. You can either keep this separate too or mix with the second extract. In all you should be getting around 2 cups of second and third extract coconut milk together.
  
• Dice the veggies lengthwise in uniform size as shown in picture. Dice the onions and green chillies lengthwise as well.
  
• Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan or kadai and add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Once hot, add all the whole spices and then the green chillies and curry leaves.
  
• Now on a low flame, add the onions and ginger garlic paste and saute just for 1-2 minutes till the onions start sweating. Do not cook further or brown them.
  
• Now add all the chopped veggies and green peas and add some salt and sauté on medium flame for couple of minutes.
  
• Add around ¾ cup of water and cover with a lid and let the veggies cook till they are almost 90% done. This could take roughly 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook the veggies.
  
• Now lower the flame and add the second and third extract coconut milk and keep stirring continuously on low flame for couple of minutes.
  
• Finally add the first extract coconut milk while the flame is still low and give a quick stir. Do not cook further and turn off the stove.
  
• Vegetable stew is ready. Serve hot.
  

Notes

• This stew is generally mildly spiced, however if you want more heat, you could increase the amount of green chillies.
• Do not brown the onions while cooking, it is enough to just sweat them. If the onions are browned, the colour of the stew would not be white.
• While grating the coconut, ensure that you do not grate the brown part from shell, as this could also affect the colour of coconut milk extracted from it.
• Ensure that the veggies are cut uniformly and cooked just right as the stew tastes best when there is still a slight crunch to the veggies.
• Keep the flame low while adding the coconut milk and keep stirring continuously. If coconut milk is boiled or not stirred properly, it might split.
• Add the first extract coconut milk right at the end before turning off the stove. Do not cook further after adding it.

Keyword Aapam, Coconut based, Coconut milk, Gluten-Free, Idiyappam, Ishtu, Kerala, Mild, Non-spicy, Side-dish, South-Indian, Stew, Vegetables