AUTHENTIC VEGETABLE STEW

 Hello Again...

This is one of my favorite preparation from Kerala Cuisine... The Stew!

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Then it could be vegetable stew or chicken stew or mutton stew.... Here I am sharing with you the vegetable stew I had prepared for dinner while in Ranchi... The best part of any stew is it complements ONLY a rice preparation in particular as a side dish... It does not go well with even cooked rice for that matter.... May be cuz the cooked rice is unable to absorb the curry of the stew well in order to enhance the flavors of the stew.... which rice preparations do... the ones prepared with batter.... For example Dosa & appa/appam... I personally haven't tried it with Idli, hence unsure of vouching for it.... If gotten an opportunity do try & share it with me too or vice versa.... :)

So let us now get on with the recipe to this yummiliciously divine prep....

Ingredients

Vegetables : any veggies of your choice

Carrots - 1 cubed

Beans - 4-5 slant cut

Peas - 1/2 cup

Potato - 1 thin sliced

Coconut Milk - 2 PORTIONS (store bought OR freshly squeezed)

{What Matters is you would need 1 portion of thick coconut milk in its original form & 1 portion that has been diluted with water which is a natural outcome when fresh ground & squeezed}

Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp (main ingredient after coconut milk of course)

Onion - 1 slit lengthwise

Curry Leaves - 1 sprig

Ginger - 1" finely chopped

Coriander Leaves - 1/2 tbsp fine chopped

Cinnamon - 1"

Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

Salt To Taste

For Paste

Poppy Seeds - 2 tsps

Green Chillies - 5-6

Broken Cashews - 2 tbsp

Roasted Chana Dal - 1 tbsp

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 2

Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1) Par boil the veggies... Following TICKLING PALATES I tried doing that in microwave & indeed it helped me get just what I wanted... for about 2-3 minutes... you want them to be cooked as well as crunchy between your teeth....

2) Grind the ingredients under paste with a lil water to fine paste

3) Heat a wok/pan & add in the coconut oil when hot... Then add fennel seeds + cinnamon & then add chopped ginger & curry leaves out of its sprig & saute for a minute

4) Now add onions & saute until translucent ONLY...

5) Now add the paste & stir at regular intervals so that the mixture does not stick to the wok... 

6) Add the par boiled veggies & saute for a minute & then add the diluted portion of coconut milk + salt & cook for 5 minutes...

7) Now add the thick portion of coconut milk & cook covered for a minute

8) Turn off the flame & garnish with chopped coriander leaves... Keep aside covered so that the flavors blend well...

9) Enjoy hot with appams/dosa

The flavors make the preparation very divine that you would close your eyes relishing it on your taste buds.... That is exactly what happened with me.... I just went on with sharing & relishing that I completely forgot to click pics of the prep neatly served... 😈

Yet here's one.... for a sneak peek 👀

Recipe Card :

Below is a video for a quick guide... 

*** EDITED ON FEB 2,2025 TO ADD VIDEO, RECIPE CARD, FEW PICTURES * INFO ***

1) Vegetables must be parboiled before use with lil salt. Do not drain the water once done.

2) Add the same water with lil coconut milk to add in the flavor as you boil your veggies with the masala mixture 

AND/OR

3) For the diluted coconut milk u may just add a lil coconut milk to the same water you rinse your mixie jar with after you have grounded the paste

Had served a guest who was home & she kept licking her fingers after taking a second serve of just the stew.... It is so heavenly to taste....

Planning on getting the people of Ranchi to taste it too... sometime sooner hopefully.... ✌

UNTIL NEXT, KEEP THE FAITH!!!