RECIPE
Kerala-Style Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk
Temper whole spices and curry leaves in coconut oil, add onion, ginger and green chilli, then simmer mixed vegetables in thin coconut milk until tender. Finish with thick coconut milk and take it off the heat before it boils. The result is a mild, fragrant stew, ready in about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 450 ml fresh coconut milk (use about 300 ml diluted with 150 ml water as thin milk, and keep 150 ml thick)
- 2 cups mixed vegetables: potato, carrot, beans, peas
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger, julienned
- 2 green chillies, slit
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 3 green cardamoms
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp lime juice, optional
Method
- Heat the coconut oil and add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and curry leaves.
- Add the onion, ginger and green chillies and cook until the onion is soft but not brown.
- Add the vegetables, salt and the thin coconut milk. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Lower the heat, stir in the thick coconut milk and warm through for 1–2 minutes without boiling.
- Turn off the heat, add lime juice if using, and serve with appam, idiyappam or rice.
Why add coconut milk in two stages
Cooking the vegetables in thin coconut milk keeps it from splitting during the long simmer. Adding the thick milk at the end, off the boil, keeps the stew creamy and smooth.
More coconut milk recipes
Try the Konkan sol kadhi to serve alongside, or compare coconut milk vs coconut water.
Fresh coconut milk in Pune
A 450 ml pack of CocoDaily fresh coconut milk is the right amount for this recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Quick answers.
Why did my coconut curry split?
It was probably boiled after adding thick coconut milk. Keep the heat low at the end.
Can I add other vegetables?
Yes. Cauliflower, pumpkin and baby corn all work.
Is this stew spicy?
No. It is mild and fragrant; add more green chilli for heat.
