Kerala Chicken Stew - Two Recipes

Chicken stew is one of the curries that I prepare ever since I started my cooking expedition. It has evolved much since then, as I improved much in cooking, and learned to balance the flavours and spices. I make two versions of it now, one being the easy, low fat version without using nuts and other one slightly richer version using ground nuts and thick coconut milk. The gravy is usually white, as no powdered spices are used apart from little garam masala. Curry gets most of its flavour from the whole spices that flavour the oil, along with onion, ginger and garlic. Even though the curry looks plain and white, it is very aromatic and full of flavour.

I usually use maggi coconut milk powder to make coconut milk, but if you could extract fresh milk from coconut it would be even better. You may use fresh, frozen or even desiccated coconut to extract the milk. I tend to be lazy when it comes to grinding coconut and squeezing all that glorious white milk off it, leaving behind extra pots and pans to wash. So almost always use Maggi coconut powder. You can also used canned coconut milk by diluting it with water to thin it out. I never use canned coconut milk in my cooking as I feel it has got a strong synthetic aftertaste.

This curry is usually served at home along with appam, ghee rice, pathiri, chappathis or even bread.

Kerala Chicken Stew

Preparation time:10-20 minutes

Cooking time:30-40 minutes

Recipe 1:

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken

1 large potato,300g, peeled and cut into 2 “ pieces

2 large onions, finely chopped, 2 ½ cups

1 ½ tbsp grated ginger

1 ½ tbsp grated garlic

3 twigs of curry leaves

1 large tomato, 175g, cut into long strips

2 tbsp coconut oil/vegetable oil

5 cardamom

5 cloves

2 -3 2” piece of cinnamon sticks

1 tsp pepper corns slightly crushed or use it as whole

3 bay leaves

4-5 green chillies slit lengthwise

1/3 cup cashewnuts soaked in ½ cup thick coconut milk

½-1 cup thin coconut milk

½ tsp garam masala powder

1-2 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

1.Wash chicken well and place It in a colander to drain of all the excess water.

2. In a wide non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot add cardamom, pepper corns, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon and cook for few seconds until it leaves aroma. (Heat is kept to medium as high heat burns the spices).

3. Add the chopped onion and salt and sauté until it starts turning golden. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook till the raw smell fades.

4. Add tomatoes, 2 twigs of curry leaves and sauté until tomatoes are pulpy.

5. Add chicken pieces and mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.

6. Pour in the coconut milk, stir, and cook it covered on low heat until the chicken is half done, for about 10 minutes.

7. Add in the potatoes and cook till the chicken is tender and potato is cooked.

8. Add in cashew paste, remaining curry leaves, lemon juice, green chillies and garam masala. Gently heat to simmering point and take off the heat. Serve it along with ghee rice, appam etc.

Recipe2:

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken

2 large onions,sliced thin, 3 cups

2 tbsp grated ginger

2 ½ - 3tbsp grated garlic (10 cloves)

3 twigs of curry leaves

1 large tomato, 175g, cut into long strips

2 tbsp coconut oil/vegetable oil

5 cardamom

6 cloves

3 2” piece of cinnamon sticks

2 tsp pepper corns slightly crushed

4-5 green chillies slit lengthwise

11/2 - 2 cup thin coconut milk

½ tsp garam masala powder

2 twig curry leaves

Preparation:

1. Wash chicken well and place It in a colander to drain of all the excess water.

2. In a wide non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When hot add cardamom, pepper corns, cloves, and cinnamon and cook for few seconds until it leaves aroma. (Heat is kept to medium as high heat burns the spices).

3. Add the chopped onion and salt and sauté until it starts turning golden. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook till the raw smell fades.

4. Add tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are pulpy.

5. Add chicken pieces and mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.

6. Pour in the coconut milk, stir, and cook it covered on low heat until the chicken is fully cooked, for about 20 minutes minutes. Towards the end of cooking, add curry leaves, green chillies and garam masala. Gently heat to simmering point and take off the heat. Serve it along with ghee rice, appam etc.