Vegetable Stew Recipe - Kerala Veg Stew For Appam

Vegetable Stew Recipe with step by step photos. Kerala Vegetable Stew to serve with appams (hoppers) made with mixed vegetables and fresh coconut milk.

This stew is vegan, gluten free, so creamy, aromatic and tastes finger licking delicious.

Though it is served as a side dish to appams predominantly, it also goes well with dosa, poori, idiyappam and pulao.

The coconut milk brings in a wealth of flavor and aroma to the dish, not to mention the ginger and curry leaves.

As the vegetable stew is very rich, do not miss out on the ginger as it helps with the digestion.

Earlier my mother would add a slurry made of water and rice flour to thicken the vegetable stew.

But I don’t follow that anymore, after my friend J’s housekeeper who hails from Kerala, taught me the right way of making this veg stew.

Use only coconut oil to make this vegetable stew. Using any other vegetable oil is like committing a crime of the highest order. Check for coconut oil meant for cooking in the supermarket aisle.

Many use the coconut oil that comes in plastic bottles and sachets that are advertised in TV.

Please note that they are meant only for external use to be applied on hair, not for cooking and most definitely not for internal consumption.

Though you can use store bought milk and adjust the consistency to make first and second milk to use in the recipe, freshly extracted coconut milk is highly recommended for an authentic taste.

It is really easy to extract coconut milk at home.

Homemade Coconut Milk Video Below:

Do subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get more easy and delicious recipes.

Vegetable Stew Recipe with Stepwise Photos:

1. Parboil vegetables either in a pressure cooker or in a microwave. Vegetables to use are carrots, cauliflower, potato and peas.

2. Take all the ingredients mentioned for grinding in a mixie jar.

3. Adding little water, grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.

4. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add cinnamon stick for tempering. Add ginger, curry leaves and sauté for few seconds.

5. Add onions and sauté till they turn pink. Do not let it brown which will change the color of the stew.

6. Add the ground paste and stir continuously to cook it without letting it stick to the bottom of the pan.

7. Add parboiled vegetables and mix.

8. Add second (thin) coconut milk, salt and bring it to a boil. Cook for 2-4 mins.

9. Add first (thick) coconut milk, stir well and cook for 1 more min.

10. Switch off stove. Drizzle remaining 1 tsp coconut oil on top. Close the pan with lid and let it rest.

Serve this vegetable stew with piping hot Appams and Palappams or Pulao.

Vegetable Stew Recipe details below:

Vegetable Stew - Kerala Vegetable Stew

Radhika

Vegetable Stew recipe with stepwise photos to serve with appams.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine South Indian

Servings 3 to 4

Ingredients

  

• Mixed Vegetables - 3/4 cup
• First coconut milk - 1/4 cup
• Second coconut milk - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut oil - 4 tsp

For the Paste:

• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Green chilies - 5
• Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp broken
• Roasted Gram Dal - 2 tsp
• Cardamom - 1
• Cloves - 2

Instructions

 

Preparation:

• Use carrots, peas, cauliflower and potato. Scrape the skin of potato and carrots and dice them.
• Separate cauliflower into small florets and keep aside.
• Finely chop or grate ginger and set aside. Chop onions finely.

For the paste:

• Take poppy seeds, cardamom ,cloves, green chilies, cashew nuts and roasted gram dal in a mixie jar. Add little water and grind to a fine, smooth paste and set aside.

To make Vegetable Stew:

• Par boil the vegetables. You can either do this in a pressure cooker or in an open pan. I used microwave and cooked at half the power (540) for 3 mins. The veggies should not be cooked to a mush but should retain a bite.
• Heat a pan with 3 tsp coconut oil. Add cinnamon, saute for 1 sec.
• Add ginger and saute for 2 seconds. Add curry leaves and let it splutter.
• Add onion and saute till pink. It should not get brown.
• Add the ground paste and immediately keep stirring for the paste to cook well and to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
• The paste will absorb all the oil and mixed along with the onion, it will resemble a lump.
• Add par boiled vegetables and mix.
• Immediately add in the second coconut milk, salt and stir well to combine properly and bring it to a boil.
• Let it cook over low flame for 2 to 4 mins. The stew will turn opaque in color.
• Add in first coconut milk and stir well. Cook over low flame for 1 more minute.
• Switch off stove. Drizzle remaining 1 tsp coconut oil on top.
• Immediately close the pan tightly with a lid and let the stew rest for 2 to 3 mins for the flavors to merge well.
• Vegetable stew is ready. Stir well before serving hot with appam, idiyappam or pulao.

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