Cookbook:Keralan Vegetable Stew

| Indian Cuisine | Vegan

This coconut-flavoured vegetable stew is a famous dish of the South Indian coastal state of Kerala. It is often served with appam (rice pancakes). Though frequently made with chicken, this recipe is for the purely vegetable version of the stew.

Ingredients

 * ½ coconut, freshly grated
 * 1½ cups boiled vegetables (carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, etc.)
 * 2 Tbsp oil
 * 1 onion, diced
 * 1 very small piece of ginger, chopped
 * 2–5 green chillies (as desired), split lengthwise
 * 10 curry leaves
 * 4 cloves
 * 2 small pieces cinnamon
 * 2 pods green cardamom
 * 1 Tbsp vinegar
 * 1 Tbsp flour or rice flour or cornstarch
 * 1 pinch of salt
 * 1 tsp ground black pepper
 * 1 tsp mustard seed
 * 1 shallot

Procedure

 * 1) Pour ¾ cup of water into the grated coconut. Squeeze out the milk through a strainer. Set aside; this is first milk.
 * 2) Pour ½ cup of water into the same coconut and squeeze out the second milk. Keep this aside as well.
 * 3) In a large pan, heat oil and add the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
 * 4) Add the chopped onion, ginger, chillies and curry leaves. Fry until the onion is slightly browned.
 * 5) Add the boiled vegetables and stir for 1 minute.
 * 6) Pour in the second milk and boil for about 5–7 minutes.
 * 7) Add salt. Dissolve the maida/rice flour in a little water and add it to the sauce.
 * 8) When it boils again, add the first milk.
 * 9) Remove from the flame when it starts to boil once more.
 * 10) Season with the pepper, mustard, and shallot.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * You can use cornflour instead of rice/maida flour to thicken the sauce.