Vegetable stew recipe with coconut milk is a traditional Kerala style mild curry served with appam. Delicately spiced, mild, fragrant with chock full of veggies is veg stew for you! It is an experience in itself to feast on a plate of lacy appam and stew, a bowl of coconut milk doesn’t hurt too! Here is an easy step by step Kerala vegetable stew recipe!
What is Veg Stew?
Vegetable stew or veg stew is a mild vegetarian coconut milk based curry from Kerala. Rich yet mild spices like poppy seeds are used in making this stew. Coconut milk is the main ingredient in this recipe along with mixed vegetables.
This rich Kerala style curry can be made with vegetables like carrot, peas, potatoes and french beans. You can also add cauliflower and corn in this curry. Vegetables like okra, eggplant are not suitable for this stew.
Serve vegetable stew with appam for one of the best breakfast experience. Veg stew also goes very well idiyappm, neer dosa, set dosa. Also you can serve with hot steamed rice.
This vegetable stew recipe is perfect for those who are like me who strongly feel sweet coconut milk is more a dessert than side dish 🙂
This Veg Stew Recipe Is
Vegan & gluten free
Simple, quick and easy
Tastes wonderful with subtle flavors
Loaded with veggies & clean
Kid friendly mildly spiced
How To Make Vegetable Stew For Appam?
Making vegetable stew recipe is really easy and quick. It just steaming the veggies, mix the masala and simmer with coconut milk.
The spices used for veg stew recipe are poppy seeds, clove, cardamom and cinnamon. This spice paste is quiet different from what we usually make like the ones with cumin seeds or coriander seeds.
A very fragrant spice paste with freshly grated coconut flakes, poppy seeds, cashews, green chili, cardamom and cinnamon stick is the key to this veg stew.
The spices are ground raw first. Next temper some curry leaves and ginger. Add the steamed veggies followed by ground masala. Coat and cook for few minutes.
Add the thin coconut milk and boil for 2 minutes. Finally add thick coconut milk and simmer for few minutes. Serve hot.
Can We Make Vegetable Stew Without Coconut Milk?
To make veg stew without coconut milk you can either use water or almond milk.
If using water just add 2 cups water in place of coconut milk and boil well till done. If using almond milk just use like coconut milk. Add the almond milk instead of coconut milk and simmer for few minutes. Do no boil the stew for long time.
Recipe Notes and Tips For Making Veg Stew
Use fresh homemade coconut milk if possible. As second option you can good quality store bought coconut milk too.
Use Veggies like carrot, potato, peas etc. Country veggies like okra, eggplant are not suitable for this recipe.
After adding thick coconut milk do not boil the stew, just gently simmer it.
How To Make Vegetable Stew Step by Step
1.Wash, peel and cube the veggies.
2. Steam or boil the veggies until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
3.Take poppy seeds, cashews, cinnamon stick, cardamom in a small grinder jar.
4. Add fresh grated coconut, little water and grind to a fine paste.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds. Add curry leaf and minced ginger. Saute well for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the cooked veggies and prepared spice paste. Saute very well till the raw smell of the spice paste goes off. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt.
7. Add 1 cup thin coconut milk and boil for 2 minutes.
8. Now add thick coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Remove from flame and serve hot.
Tips For Making Best Veg Stew
- Use very good quality fresh coconut milk.
- If using coconut cream you can add water to dilute it.
- Add whatever veggies you have handy
- You can double or triple the recipe
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Vegetable Stew Recipe
Vegetable stew recipe | Vegetable stew for appam
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mixed veggies peeled and cubed
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 1 cup thin coconut milk
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
For spice paste
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 10 cashews
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cardamom pods
- 2-3 green chilies
- 2-3 cloves
Instructions
- Wash, peel and cube the veggies. Steam or boil the veggies until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
- Take poppy seeds, cashews, cinnamon stick, cardamom in a small grinder jar. Add fresh grated coconut, little water and grind to a fine paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds. Add curry leaf and minced ginger. Saute well for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked veggies and prepared spice paste. Saute very well till the raw smell of the spice paste goes off. Saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Add 1 cup thin coconut milk and boil for 2 minutes
- Finally add 1 cup thick coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Serve hot.
Notes
2. Do not cook the veggies until they turn mushy
3. Do not make this stew very thick.
Nutrition
indhu says
I love this delicate veg stew from kerala. Goes very well with rice too,
Amritha says
Loved the taste. It had a beautiful balance. Thanks for sharing!