Vegetable Stew

Vegetable Stew - A Kerala delicacy that goes well with Coconut Rice. 

Servings : 2 people

Ingredients :
For Boiled Vegetables :
1/2 cup chopped Carrot
1/2 cup French beans (chopped vertically)
1/2 cup Cauliflower florets
1 medium Potato (chopped)
1/2 cup Green peas
1 tspn Salt
2 tspns Sugar

For Vegetable Stew :
2 tbspns coconut Oil
1 tspn peppercorns
1 stick Cinnamon 
2 -3 cloves
2 Cardmoms
1 sprig of Curry leaves
1 tspn Ginger paste
1 cup chopped Onion
3-4 chopped Green chillies
1 bowl Boiled Vegetables
Salt to taste
1 cup Coconut milk (thick)

Method :
To boil Vegetables :

Heat water in a large Pan. Add salt and sugar to it. Once it start boiling, add Potatoes, French beans and Green peas. Once these vegetables are half cooked, add carrot and cauliflower florets. Check if all the vegetables are cooked. Once cooked, set it aside for using it in the Stew along with the stock.

To make Vegetable Stew :

Dry roast Peppercorns,  Cinnamon stick, Cloves and Cardamom. Crush it into coarse powder. Now heat Coconut oil in a pan. Add the crushed powder (of Peppercorns, Cinnamon stick, Cloves and Cardamom). Also add curry leaves and onions. Once the onions turn translucent, add green chillies and saute. Then add the boiled vegetables along with its stock. Check if the salt is required. Lastly, add the thick coconut milk.When the Stew thickens, take off the heat.

Serve hot with Coconut rice.

Notes :
You may also cook the vegetables in thin coconut milk instead of plain water.

Stepwise Pictures :

Sending this entry to Anu's Healthy Kitchen's - South Indian Cooking Series hosted by Nivedhanam

Simple Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is very popular dish from the South Indian state Kerala. It is very simple to make and tastes heavenly. This rice can be served with hot vegetable stew. 

Servings : 2 people

Ingredients :
For Rice
1 cup Rice
2 and ¼ cups water
1 Bay leaf
4-6 cloves
8-10 Black pepper
1 tspn Oil 
1 tspn Ghee
Salt to taste

For Coconut Rice
2 tbspns Coconut Oil / Or Vegetable Oil
1 tspn Mustard seeds
A pinch of asafetida
1 tspn Urad Dal
2-3 Red chillies (dry)
10-15 curry leaves
12-15 Cashew nuts
1 Cup scrapped Coconut
Salt to taste
1 bowl Cooked rice

Method :

To cook rice :

Take a cup of rice and wash it under running tap water. Heat 2 and ¼ cups of water in a vessel / pan. Add a bay leaf, 4-6 cloves, 8-10 black peppers, salt and a tspn of vegetable oil to the water. Now reduce the flame to medium and add washed rice into it. Once the rice is cooked, 

reduce the flame and cover the vessel with a lid. Once done, allow it to cool. After half an hour, spread the rice in a plate so that it cools and the grains do not stick to each other. You may also pour half a teaspoon of ghee over it.

To make Coconut Rice :

Heat oil in a pan. Then add the mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, add asafetida, Urad dal, broken red chillies, curry leaves, cashew nuts, scrapped coconut and fry it. Add the cooked rice and mix it. 

Garnish it with fried cashews, fried red chilies and fried curry leaves. Serve hot with Vegetable Stew or spicy curry.

Notes :

You may also add coconut water while cooking rice. It gives a sweet flavour to the rice. 

Stepwise Pictures :