Vegetable Stew using coconut Milk

Coconut milk Vegetables Stew| Kerala Vegetable stew| Indian Vegetable Stew| Vegetable Ishtu| Sodhi| Nadan Vegetable stew is called in the above names in various regions regions of India. It is nothing but coconut milk based stew with mixed vegetables of choice. It is popular in Kerala where lots of coconut cultivation takes place. Indians prepare stew in coconut milk base where as in Western countries they generally use wine to prepare stew with vegetables.
Vegetable or Chicken Stew goes well with any kind of appam like Palappam, Idiyappam, Puttu etc. Perfect for Christmas or Easter festive day breakfast!!!

INGREDIENTS:
Carrot, cut into cubes-1
Beans, cut into 3- 5 nos
Cauliflower- 5-6 florets
Potatoes-1 big (or) 2 small
Green peas, fresh| fozen- 1/4 cup
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Cinnamon- 1 inch piece
Cloves-4
Cardamom-3-4
Onion, chopped lengthwise- 1
Green chillies, slit-3-4
Ginger, chopped/paste- 1 inch (1 tbsp)
Garlic, chopped/paste- 2 big cloves (1 tbsp)
Coconut, grated - 3/4-1 cup
Pepper powder- 1/4 teaspoon (optional- add if required)
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• You could prepare this stew in pan or in pressure cooker. If you are running out of time you could use pressure cooker and cook for a whistle and open the pressure cooker and pour the coconut milk.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and cook for a thirty seconds till the aroma arises.
• Add the onion and green chillies with a pinch of salt. Cook fifteen seconds and then add the ginger and garlic and cook till the onion becomes translucent.

• Now add the cut vegetables(carrot, beans, cauliflower, potatoes and peas) with some salt and mix well and roast in that oil for fifteen seconds.
• Now add enough water to cover the vegetables and close with a lid and cook till soft.

• Grind the coconut with 3/4 cup of water to get thick coconut extract. Grind again the same extracted coconut with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and take the the thin coconut extract.

• Add the thin extract first and bring the curry to boil. Once the curry starts to bubble add some curry leaves and the first thick coconut extract and switch off the gas and mix well.

• Note: I used to prepare stew mostly with idiyappam so i add a teaspoon of idiyappma rice flour mix left in the idiyappam maker as a thickening agent for the stew. I add while grinding the coconut so it gives nice texture to the stew. If you wish you could soak and grind cashew nuts to thicken the gravy.

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Chicken Curry

An ideal non-veg dish that every woman love to try after marriage, is the Chicken curry. The Chicken curry is a versatile dish which you can have with rice, chapatis or any types of appam. Chicken curry could be made in different ways, but generally prepared easily at home using the onion tomato gravy.

Some use coconut while some do not. People those who do not like coconut paste can avoid it altogether in this curry too. But the coconut gives the thickness and richness to the chicken curry. Initially I used to prepare  chicken curry with coconut milk which gives a thin curry. That version will be shared with you later on. The method discussed here is the which is prepared in most of the homes. I have added some cashew nuts for extra richness for the gravy.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Cuisine: South Indian
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, cut in to medium sized pieces- 1 kg
Oil- 2 tablespoon
Cinnamon/ pattai- 1inch
Cloves/ grambu-2
Cardamom/ elam-3
Curry leaves- 1 strand
Onion, chopped-2 large
Ginger garlic paste/ finely chopped- 1½ tablespoon
Green chilli, slit-1
Tomato, chopped-2 large
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder- 1 tablespoon
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves, chopped- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste
Water- 2 cups

To grind as fine paste:
Coconut- less than 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts-6
Fennel seeds/ Sombu- 1 teaspoon
Peppercorns/ Milagu- 1/2 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• You could prepare this chicken curry in pressure cooker as well as in normal pan.
• Soak the cashew nuts in water just before start the preparations. If you forget to soak boil some water and allow to soak the nuts for 2-5 minutes.
• Wash and clean the chicken; drain all the water and set aside.
• Heat the vessel you planned to prepare the chicken curry and add the oil. Once the oil gets heated up add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom; fry in that oil till the aroma rises for about 2 minutes.
• Add the curry leaves in that oil; add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook on medium flame till the onion starts to get the brown colour. Getting the light brown colour is important for the taste of the chicken curry.

• Now add the ginger garlic chopped/ paste and green chilli; roast in that same oil till the raw smell leaves for about a minute or two.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium flame till it becomes mushy.
• Now add the masala such as turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.

• Roast the masala with the onion tomato mixture for a minute till the raw masala smell leaves.
• Now add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• Now add the cleaned chicken pieces and salt. Mix well with a ladle and allow to coat the masala well and cook for a minute.

• Now add 2 cups of water and close with a lid.
• If you are pressure cooking, keep the chicken for 2 whistles; If you are cooking in normal pan close with a lid and cook till the chicken becomes soft and the oil separates on top of the curry.

• Meanwhile prepare the coconut cashew paste by grinding coconut, soaked cashew nuts, fennel seeds and peppercorns. Pulse twice to powder the ingredients then add little water and grind it as a fine paste.

• Once the pressure releases open the lid and add the ground masala paste and mix with a ladle.
• Rinse the blender jar with half a cup of water and add that too with the chicken curry. If you feel the curry is still thick add half more cup of water.

• Bring it to boil once the curry starts to bubble on top immediately switch off the gas. Do not over cook after adding the coconut paste.

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Alleppey Fish Curry

Alleppey fish curry is a famous fish curry made with the sourness from the Mangoes. Fish curries are prepared generally with a souring agent like kudampuli, tamarind, kokkum, curd or mangoes etc. In some fish curries creaminess is achieved by coconut paste or milk or yogurt. In this fish curry Mango is the souring agent used and coconut milk is used to achieve the creaminess of the curry.

This fish curry has a bright orange colour as it is prepared with kashmiri red chilli powder. The spiciness is coming from the green chillies and the colour of the curry is from kashmiri red chilli powder. Pearl onion and the ginger and curry leaves gives an authentic flavour to this curry.

INGREDIENTS:
Fish, white meat- 250- 300 gms
Coconut oil/ refined oil- 3 teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds/ Methi seeds/ Uluva- 1 teaspoon
Small onion/ pearl onion, chopped lengthwise- 1 cup
Ginger, chopped into julienne- 1 inch
Green chillies, slit- 2
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Raw mango (sour variety), cut into cubes- 1 big
Turmeric powder- pinch
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 2 teaspoons
Coconut, grated- 1 cup
Corn flour- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• In a blender jar add the coconut and pulse for three times then add a cup of warm water and blend well to make a paste.
• Extract the milk using hand and collect in a bowl and set aside. You could grind with another quarter cup of water and extract the thin milk if needed and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds once the colour changes to darker shade and you get the aroma add the chopped onion and saute for thirty seconds. 

• Now add the green chillies and ginger; cook in that oil till it the flavour arise for about a minute. 
• Add the curry leaves and saute for fifteen seconds and add the cut mango cubes and roast in that oil.

• Now add the turmeric powder and kashmiri red chilli powder and mix well in this mango mixture. Within two seconds add the water  and salt and mix well as the masala tend to burn.
• On medium flame allow the masala to cook for 5- 10 minutes till the mangoes cooks well and the onion, ginger becomes soft.

• Now add the fish with some salt and allow to cook in that gravy for about 5 minutes.
• Now itself the curry tastes great you could use if you are health conscious. But the actual recipe we have to add coconut milk.

• Add the extracted coconut milk and immediately pour the corn flour mixture(corn flour is added to avoid the coconut milk split when added with the masala and to give texture to the curry) with this and mix well to combine. Corn flour prevents watery texture and gives thickness to the coconut milk and makes the texture creamy.
• Allow the gravy to cook for about 5 minutes till the gravy slightly thickens.
• Add some curry leaves if needed.

• Serve with hot rice or tapioca.

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Fish Masala

I have tasted so many varieties of Fish curry. But my mother in law loves this fish masala and i happened to taste it once they ordered a Fish Thali on an occasion when we were in home town. I have tasted that curry and that fish masala tasted heavenly so i tried so many times after that and could not able to get the taste of it. This time i have added garam masala too to this masala and it came out very well.

You could use tamarind juice same quantity if you does not like curd to be used in fish curry. Curd gives more richness to the curry but you have to be careful and put off the gas at the right time to prevent the curd curdles.

Easy to make tasty fish masala with thick gravy to be served for more people. Generally fish curry has a thin gravy but this is thick; generally if we prepare thick gravy that will not be sufficient to serve more people. When we dilute the gravy it becomes thin and tasteless. But this gravy is scrumptious to feed more people with a rich tasty gravy.

INGREDIENTS:

To marinate the fish:
Fish, White meat- 6 big pieces (500 grams)
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon

To make the gravy:
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Jeera- 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek/ Methi seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon, cardamom, clove- 3 each
Onion, chopped- 2 big
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
Tomato, chopped -2 big
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon (I have used here Kashmiri Chilli powder. Marinated fish also has chilli powder so add according to your spice level)
Garam masala powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Thick yogurt/ curd,beaten(or) thick tamarind juice- 2 tablespoon
Coconut, grated- 3/4 cup
Curry leaves- 1 strand (optional)
Coriander leaves- to garnish

PROCEDURE:

• In a plate add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt; mix well and rub over the fish and allow to marinate till the gravy cooks; set aside.

• In a pressure cooker (I am using to make the onion tomato mixture to cook nice and soft . You could use normal vessel too) or in a pan add the oil and add the jeera, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and clove allow to fry well in oil and wait till nice aroma arises.
• Now add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook till soft. Then add the ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell leaves.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a minute and then add half a cup of water and close with the lid and pressure cook the mixture till 2-3 whistles. (If you are cooking in a normal pan add 1 cup of water and allow the mixture to cook till soft)

• Meantime grind the coconut with some warm water and extract the coconut milk as much you can; set aside.
• Once the steam goes off open the lid and add turmeric and chilli powder cook for a minute. (If you are using tamarind add now and cook well till the raw taste leaves)Then add half a cup of water and salt and allow the mixture to boil.
• Once the mixture starts to bubble add the marinated fish. (Do not use ladle and mix after adding the fish)

• Swirl the pan in between to mix well the masala and allow the fish to cook. Now the colour of the fish turns white once it cooks. Now its time to add the garam masala powder and cook for fifteen seconds.

• Now add the yogurt and coconut milk and gently mix without breaking the fish.

• Allow the mixture to cook for a minute on low flame once the curry starts to bubble switch off the flame.(Do not cook the curry after adding yogurt and coconut milk as the curry tend to curdle)
• Add some curry leaves or chopped coriander leaves.

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Apple Chicken Curry

I got this recipe few months before in Thursday Magazine's Spices and Flavors section. In that they published this recipe from Washington Post. I kept the recipe to try for this Christmas. I saw this recipe paper a day back and instantly tried and we liked the recipe a lot.

The taste and the texture of the curry is bit different. But the masalas used are all Indian spices so the curry suits to Indian palatte. The texture of the curry is little soupy and new for me but it goes well with plain rice. I have served with Basmathi rice. U can serve with Basmathi or Jasmine rice. Mild sweetness from the apple and the juicy chicken. Different from normal chicken curry. Perfect dish to try for some change in cooking.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: Continental
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
Onion-1 large
Garlic- 2 big cloves
Celery- 1 stem(optional)
Red capsicum-1 Medium
Apple-1 big (Preferably Green apple like Granny's smith)
Chicken, with or without bone- 600 grams (I used half chicken)
All purpose flour- 3 tablespoons
Pepper - 1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 +1 tablespoons
Butter-1 tablespoons
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Water(or)chicken broth- 3 cups (I used water)
Coriander/ parsley leaves- 3 strands

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the onion, garlic, celery, red capsicum in to small dice; combine them.
• Peel and core the apple and cut the apple into small bite size pieces.
• Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
• In a plate take 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and season with 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and salt. 

• Add the chicken pieces and roll well to coat the flour evenly all over the chicken pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a broad pan and add the coated chicken (shaking off the excess flour). 
• Cook until lightly browned on the outside, the chicken might not be cooked through.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate.

• In the same pan heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil together.
• Add the onion, garlic, celery,capsicum  and pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the veggies are soft by stirring occasionally.
• Add the apple and stir well to incorporate and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Then stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and cinnamon powder and cook for a minute.(If you donot have cinnamon powder replace it with garam masala powder)

• Then add a tablespoon of flour over the mixture ad stir to incorporate.
• Cook for a minute to allow the flour to roast.
• Add 3 cups of water(or)chicken broth and mix well then add the chicken pieces and any accumulated juices from the chicken.

• Cook the curry in medium flame and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• The mixture continue to thicken as it cooks, and the chicken should be cooked through.

• Taste the curry and season with 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and salt.
• Chop some coriander or parsley and add on top of curry before serving.

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Schezwan Paneer

Szechuan Paneer is a spicy version of manchurian prepared using szechuan sauce. Easy to prepare dish in minutes. Perfect dish for parties and get together. Bright vibrant coloured spicy sauce with garlic flavour and with the juicy tasty paneer cubes.

If you have the szechuan sauce prepared at your home it is easy to prepare in no time. Simple yet delicious gravy. You can reduce the sauce well till the sauce coats well to the paneer and can be serves as a semi thick gravy too.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10  minutes
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves- 3-4

INGREDIENTS:
Fried Paneer:
Paneer (fresh/frozen)- 150 grams(20 small cubes)
Corn Flour- 1 tablespoon
Oil- to deep fry

To make Szechuan Paneer:
Oil- 3 teaspoons
Onion, cubed-1
Garlic, chopped- 3 cloves
Capsicum, cubed-1
Szechuan sauce- 1 tablespoon (use according to your spice level)
Soya sauce- 2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon
Water- 1 cup
Corn flour-2 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Take the paneer cubes and corn flour in a flat plate and roll well to coat the paneer well in the corn flour.
• Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the panner till crisp on outside and set aside.

• In a broad pan or wok add oil and put the chopped onion, garlic and cook till soft for about a minute. 
• Then add the capsicum and cook till the blisters starts to appear. 

• Now add the salt, sugar, szechuan sauce, soya sauce and a cup of water. 
• Mix well to combine all the sauces well in the water and bring it to boil.
• Once it starts to boil mix the corn flour with 1/4 cup of water and pour  the slurry into the suce and allow to simmer on low flame.

• Once the sauce thiken and got the shinining add the fried paneer cubes and mix well. Check for salt and balance the taste with salt or sugar.

• Add some chopped spring oniona and switch off the gas.

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