Kerala Style Chicken Stew is a traditional dish from the state of Kerala (India). It is a mild chicken curry prepared using bone-in chicken, veggies, spices, and coconut milk. Make it using my easy recipe and serve it with steamed rice, appam, or hoppers.
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About Kerala Chicken Stew
Kerala Style Chicken Stew, locally known as Nadan Kozhi Ishtu is a famous chicken curry from the state of Kerala in India.
It is a mild curry made using bone-in chicken, spices, veggies, and coconut milk.
Kerala chicken stew is best served with steamed rice, appam, or sting hoppers (idiyappam).
Make this traditional curry using my easy recipe.
Here are a few more recipes from Kerala that you will absolutely love
- Kerala Prawn Curry
- Kerala Style Instant Mango Pickle
- Kerala Parotta
- Kerala Egg Curry
- Moru Curry
- Kerala Fish Curry
- Ulli Theeyal
- Kerala Style Fish Moilee
- Mambazha Pulissery
Ingredients
Chicken – Use skinless bone-in chicken pieces as bones add a lot of flavor to the curry. Having said that, if you are not a bone-in chicken person, you can use boneless chicken cut into small pieces.
Vegetables – I have added veggies such as potatoes and carrots, but you can also add green beans, green peas, cauliflower, etc.
Coconut Milk – Coconut milk makes the base of this curry. You will need thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk.
To make thin coconut milk, mix ¼ cup thick coconut milk with 2 and ¼ cups of water.
Cashew Nut Paste – It adds creaminess and richness to the curry.
Whole Spices – This curry is mildly spiced with whole spices like green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cloves (laung), cinnamon (dalchini), black peppercorns (kali mirch), and bay leaves (tejpatta).
Oil – Use only coconut oil for the traditional authentic taste.
Others – You will also need onions, fresh ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves, and salt.
Tempering – Tempering is optional but adds so much taste, so it’s highly recommended. For tempering, you will need coconut oil, pearl onions (shallots), and curry leaves.
How To Make Kerala-Style Chicken Stew
Heat 3 tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2-3 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 3-4 peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
and saute for 5-6 seconds.
Add
- 2 cups of thinly sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
and cook until the onions turn light brown. Stir frequently.
Add 3-4 green chilies (slit into half) and 10-12 curry leaves and cook until the onions turn golden brown, stirring frequently.
Note – For a lighter-colored stew, cook the onions until they are just translucent.
Now add 2 pounds (1 kg) of rinsed skinless bone-in chicken (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add 2 and ½ cups of thin coconut milk and 2 teaspoon salt and mix well.
Reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Stir a few times in between.
Note – The coconut milk might curdle while cooking. But don’t worry; the curry will be fine once you add thick coconut milk at the end of cooking. But if you don’t want the milk to curdle at all, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to it. It will also make the curry creamier.
Add ½ cup of peeled and cubed potatoes and ½ cup of peeled and cubed carrots and mix well.
Cover the pan and cook until chicken and vegetables are cooked well (20-25 minutes). Stir a few times in between.
Now add ¼ cup of cashew nut paste and 1 cup of thick coconut milk and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
For tempering, heat 2 tablespoon coconut oil in a small pan.
Once the oil is hot, add 4-5 sliced shallots and 10-12 curry leaves and fry until shallots turn golden brown in color.
Pour the tempering over the chicken stew and mix well.
Serve hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
Make sure the coconut milk in which you are cooking the chicken is thin. If it’s thick, then there are chances of it splitting (curdling) while cooking.
To make cashew nut paste, soak 20-25 cashews in ½ cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Then blend in a blender to make a smooth paste.
Serving Suggestions
This Ishtu is traditionally served with steamed rice, appam, or hoppers. You can also serve it with Kerala parotta, plain tawa paratha, or lachha paratha.
Storage Suggestions
Kerala Style Chicken Stew will last a day or two in the refrigerator, as coconut milk is one of its main ingredients.
It is also not freezer-friendly, as the coconut milk will split while thawing.
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Recipe Card
Traditional Kerala Style Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 2-3 whole clove (laung)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 3-4 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 2 bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 2 cups thinly sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 pounds skinless bone-in chicken (1 kg, cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces, rinsed)
- 2 and ½ cups thin coconut milk (To make thin coconut milk, mix together ¼ cup thick coconut milk with 2 and ¼ cups of water.)
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup peeled and cubed potatoes (½-inch cubes)
- ½ cup peeled and cubed carrots (½-inch cubes)
- ¼ cup cashew nut paste
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
For Tempering
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4-5 pearl onions (sliced)
- 10-12 curry leaves
Instructions
Make The Stew
- Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and bay leaves and saute for 5-6 seconds.
- Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and cook until the onions are light brown in color. Stir frequently.
- Add green chilies and curry leaves and cook until the onions turn golden brown in color, stirring frequently.
- Note – For a lighter-colored stew, cook the onions until they are just translucent.
- Now add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add thin coconut milk and salt and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir a few times in between.
- Note – The coconut milk might curdle while cooking. But don’t worry; the curry will be fine once you add thick coconut milk at the end of cooking. But if you don’t want the milk to curdle at all, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to it. It will also make the curry creamier.
- Add potatoes and carrots and mix well. Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are cooked well (20-25 minutes). Stir a few times in between.
- Now add cashew nut paste and thick coconut milk and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
Temper The Stew
- For tempering, heat coconut oil in a small pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add shallots and curry leaves and fry until shallots turn golden brown in color.
- Pour the tempering over the chicken stew and mix well.
- Serve hot.
PRADNYA
We make it once a month Neha!!
Amazing recipe!
Comfort food for family this stew n rice!!!!