After tasting this stew, Simi, my Punjabi friend exclaimed, “this is a revelation to me, a Kerala curry without mustard and not red in colour. This is like a Thai curry!! ” It seems she had tried Kerala food from some restaurants in Mumbai and it all looked and tasted the same with a fiery red colour and mustards floating around. It has happened to me also at times. I’ve gone through some cookery books which supposedly have authentic Kerala recipes and it is anything but a Kerala recipe. Anyways coming back to the stew, she was very much impressed with it that she got the recipe from me immediately and made it the very next day :)
This is a very simple dish, but I like it because of its subtle flavor and of course I love the thick & creamy coconut milk :). This goes very well with appam, but I like it best with puttu, if you havent tried that combo yet, I strongly recommend you give it a try.
Here is the recipe:
- Carrot – 1 (cubed)
Potato – 1 (cubed)
Green Peas – 1/4 -1/2 cup - Onion – 1, sliced finely
Green chilly – 4-5
Ginger & garlic – 1 tbsp each, crushed - Whole black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon – 1 piece
Cloves – 3
Cardamom – 3 - Thin coconut milk – 1 1/2 cup
Thick coconut milk – 1/2 – 3/4 cup - Curry leaves
Salt
Coconut oil
Heat oil in a deep bottom pan & splutter the crushed spices. Add the onion, ginger & garlic, curry leaves & green chilly and saute for a few minutes till the onion becomes soft/transparent. Dont make the onions brown. Add the cubed vegetables & combine well. Add thin coconut milk & salt, bring to boil, reduce heat; simmer and cook till vegetables are tender, it will take 10 mins approx. Add thick coconut milk and cook for 5 more minutes & remove from fire. Garnish with curry leaves fried in coconut oil or ghee.
Serve hot with appam, puttu, roti etc;
Notes: If you want to make the gravy very thick, add 1 tbsp of cashew paste. To make cashew paste, soak cashews (around6,7) in hot water for 5-10 mins. Grind it into a smooth paste. Mix the cashew paste with thick coconut milk & add to the curry. It increases the taste and also gives a thick gravy.
Recipe adapted from Kitchens of Kerala by Nimmy Paul
