Kerala is a home to coconuts and so, the cuisines are mostly coconut dominated. This creamy stew is also a coconut-based veggie stew. Loaded with the vitamins, minerals, and flavourful taste of vegetables, this creamy coconut curry is spell binding. It is not only healthy but delicious too!
It is a wonderful concoction of veggies, coconut milk, and aromatic spices. It is perfect for breakfasts, evening snacks or dinners when you have a light appetite. It should be allowed to simmer to obtain a gravy-like base for a lovely taste. It is season-friendly and can be relished during cold winters, hot summers, autumn and spring. It is colourful and extremely flavourful. It is richer, heartier and thicker being an ultimate comfort meal.
This vegetable stew is a lightened-up meal, that is as healthy as hearty, while calming down the cravings. The vegetables are the backbone of this stew as it is vegetarian. The veggies will provide fibre and volume to the bowl, making one feel full for longer with no much added calories. Spices are the winner of a perfect Vegetable Stew and works wonders when given ample time to blend with other elements of the meal. The meal is easy to prepare with light spices but powerfully flavoured.
However, the earliest stew was made in Japan during the 8th to 4th Centuries BC. Now the stew is world famous. It is richly available in vegetarian, vegan and nonvegetarian types. Here’s the recipe for the Vegetable Stew.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• ¾ cup green peas
• ½ cup chopped (lengthwise) beans
• 1 sliced carrot
• 2 cubed potatoes
• 1 garlic (finely chopped)
• ½ ginger (finely chopped)
• Grated coconut
• ¾ cup thin coconut milk
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 2 sprig of curry leaves
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• Salt, as per taste
• Coconut oil
Method:
• Wash the green peas properly. And keep them aside. Peel the vegetables and wash them.
• Chop the vegetables – carrots, potatoes, and beans, into small pieces.
• In a pot, add water and heat it.
• Add green peas and boil them well. Remove and set aside.
• In another pan, put some grated coconut and little water. Squeeze the grated coconut properly to attain thick coconut milk. And keep it aside.
• In a bowl collect some thin coconut milk too, by squeezing the already squeezed coconut with some extra water.
• In a large skillet, add the oil and heat it over medium flame. Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sautee them well.
• Now add the onions, garlic and ginger, sauté them for a few seconds.
• Then add the dried red chillies and a few curry leaves. Stir well.
• Time to add the vegetables – chopped beans, carrots, potatoes and salt. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Add thin coconut milk that was acquired later with some pepper powder, cook for a few minutes.
• Now add the boiled green peas and stir.
• Add the last ingredient of the delicacy, the thick and creamy coconut milk and give it a good stir.
• Put off the flame and serve.
• Enjoy the healthy and yummilicious Vegetable Stew with appam, or idiyappam or hot steamed rice.
