Kerala Style Chicken Stew is a very mild yet full of flavors Chicken curry which is cooked in coconut milk with minimum spices and is a traditional recipe from the state of Kerala in India. Here is how to make it.
Amongst the southern states, Kerala boasts of the most variety in its cuisine.
Right from vegetarian to non-vegetarian, it has options for everyone.
Spices are used abundantly to give taste to the dishes while Rice is a staple throughout the state.
Ingredients like green chilies, curry leaves, coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, etc are commonly used.
While each and every dish from this cuisine is unique in its own way, one of the most popular curries is the stew (ishtu) which can be made vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
This is usually served along with Rice, Hooper or Appam and it tastes absolutely delicious.
Kerala Style Vegetable Stew is one recipe that I have made a lot of times at home, but this I made a Kerala Chicken Stew (Nadan Kozhi Ishtu) for my lunch and served it along with some hot Appam.
Believe me, I can still relish the taste of the same and even craving for more.
I would definitely say that any Kerala meal is incomplete without the stew.
I have made this chicken curry recipe in a pan but you can definitely use a pressure cooker to fasten the process of cooking the chicken.
If you liked my Coconut Curry Chicken or Kori Rotti, I am sure you will love this curry too.
What is Kerala Style Chicken Stew?
Also known as Nadan Kozhi Ishtu, it is a mild chicken curry cooked in coconut milk along with vegetables and mild spices.
This curry is cooked in coconut oil which gives it a very different flavor.
If you want to give it that traditional and authentic taste, do use only coconut oil.
Serving Suggestions
This ishtu is generally served with steamed rice, appam or hoppers.
However, you can serve it with any Indian bread like Naan or Lachha Paratha or Veg Fried Rice.
You can serve this dish along with some sides as well such as Kerala Style Prawn Roast and Kerala Style Rasam.
Which vegetables can be used in the Stew?
Here I have used Carrots and Potatoes along with chicken, but you can also use green beans, cauliflower, and green peas.
What can you use instead of Chicken?
You can substitute chicken with mutton, fish or prawns to make a non-vegetarian version of Kerala Stew.
Step by Step Recipe
Heat coconut oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaf. Fry for a few seconds.
Add onion, ginger, and garlic and fry until they turn translucent.
Add green chilli and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
Now add chicken, thin coconut milk and salt.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Add potato and carrot and cook until chicken and vegetables are done.
Add cashew nut paste and thick coconut milk and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
For tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add onion and curry leaves and fry until golden brown.
Pour the tempering over the chicken.
Kerala Style Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Coconut oil
- 2 Green cardamom
- 2-3 Clove
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 3-4 Black peppercorn
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 cups Onion (Thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp Ginger (Finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Garlic (Finely chopped)
- 2 Green chilli (Slit into half)
- 10-12 Curry leaves
- 750 g Chicken
- 1 cup Thin coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup Potato (Peeled and cubed)
- ¼ cup Carrot (Peeled and cubed)
- 2 tbsp Cashew nut paste - 2 tbsp
- 1 cup Thick Coconut milk - 1 cup
For tempering
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 4-5 Small pearl onions (Sliced)
- 10-12 Curry leaves
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaf.
- Fry for a few seconds.
- Add onion, ginger and garlic and fry until they turn translucent.
- Add green chilli and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
- Now add chicken, thin coconut milk and salt.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add potato and carrot and cook until chicken and vegetables are done.
- Add cashew nut paste and thick coconut milk and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- For tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add onion and curry leaves and fry until golden brown.
- Pour the tempering over the chicken.
- Serve hot with Appam.
