Vegetable Stew

Vegetable stew is a quintessential Kerala dish that pairs well with Appam / Idiyappam. It is a creamy, delicately spiced coconut based gravy. It is a simple dish and tastes very different from the traditional South/North Indian Korma. This mildly spiced vegetable stew is prepared by simmering some assorted vegetables along with few spices in coconut milk. The addition of coconut milk gives a light creamy silky texture perfect to soothe and satiate your palates.

Preparation time: 20 to 30 minutes

Serving: 2

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables (peas, carrot, cauliflower,beans, green capsicum)	1 cup
Shredded coconut (or readymade coconut milk)	2 cups
Green chilli	2 to 3
Ginger	small piece
Cardamom	3 pods
Cloves	3
Bay leaf	1
Cinnamon	1 small stick
Coconut oil	1 tablespoon
Salt	to taste

Instructions:

• Finely chop the vegetables and keep it aside.
• Grind the green chillies and ginger using a blender.
• To prepare coconut milk – Place the coconut in the blender. Add water little by little and grind it to a smooth paste. Add more water and repeat the process until you get the required consistency. The Consistency should be like pouring and free flowing milk. Keep this aside. If you have store bought coconut milk, you can skip this step.

• In a pan, add coconut oil. When the oil is warm enough, add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Sauté for few seconds for the flavours to be released. Now add green chilli-ginger paste and stir for few seconds until the raw smell of the ginger goes away. Now add the chopped vegetables and give it a stir. Add salt. Sprinkle some water and close with a lid. Cook until the vegetables are slightly tender. Do not overcook the vegetables. The vegetables should be slightly crunchy yet tender and well cooked.
• Once the vegetables are tender, add the already prepared coconut milk to this. Keep the flame low.
• Mix well and cook for a minute or so. Do not cook for more than a minute after adding coconut milk. Overcooking after adding coconut milk will lead to curdling.
• Switch off the flame and add a teaspoon or more of coconut oil. Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with Appam or Idiyappam.