Vegetable stew is a simple, healthy,easy and delicately flavoured dish. It is a traditional dish of Kerala and is known as ‘ishtu’. There are little variations in other regions of India.
Whole spices in the dish gives an aromatic fragrance and flavour to the vegetables.Main ingredients are vegetables, whole spices, ginger and coconut milk. Coconut milk gives a sweet flavour to the dish. Usually it is served with appams for breakfast.
INGREDIENTS
Onion medium finely diced 1
Carrot cut in small cubes 1
Capsicum cut in small squares 1
Ginger grated 2 inch
Green chillies slit 4-5
Potato cut in small cubes 1
Cardamom 2
Cinnamon 2 inch stick
Thin coconut milk 1 and 1/2 tea cup
Thick coconut milk 1 and 1/2 tea cup
Cornflour /rice powder 2 tsp
Refined Oil/ coconut oil / olive oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
METHOD
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel or a big kadai add cardamon and cinnamon sticks and saute for few seconds. Add onions, carrots, potato, capsicum and green chillies and saute for few minutes. Add 1 cup water cover and cook the vegetables.
Mix 1 tsp cornflour in the thin coconut milk and add to the cooked vegetables and on low flame cook for 5 minutes.
Mix 1 tsp cornflour to the thick coconut milk and add to the gravy. Simmer and cook without lid till it starts boiling. Turn off the fire.
Serve it with hot appams ( Indian pancakes) / bread.
Note: Do not boil too much after adding the thick coconut milk or it will curdle.
Cauliflower, beans and peas can also be added.
