Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Kerala Vegetable Stew / Vegetable Ishtoo

For those who are wondering where I went kaput, I am back with a month long blogging mararthon. Yes, you read it right. This is again time for that part of the year where we, a group of food blogger friends feature a food post each day of the month on our blogs, excepting Sundays. This time around, the marathon is named 'Buffet on the Table" and is going to be a weekly based one. The first one in the series is going to be "Combos from Countries" where the dishes usually served as a pair need to be featured.  

I am going with an Indian breakfast combo on the first day, a popular one from the south Indian state of Kerala. Appams, Kerala style lacy pancakes served with mild vegetable stew or ishtoo, as it is colloquially termed. I am posting the recipe for the stew today. Though the list of the ingredients seem lengthier, this is one of those simple side dishes that you can prepare with no fuss. It doesn't involve any elaborate preparation and even a newbie can nail it. This traditional Kerala dish is mildly flavored and usually paired with paalappam though it tastes equally good with rotis as well. After standing a while, the dish ended up with a mild yellow tinge, because of the carrot used.

Source: Kurryleaves
Ingredients:
Oil / ghee as needed
3 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1" piece of cinnamon
8 - 10 peppercorns
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic (I didn't use it.)
2 to 3 green chillies, slit lengthwise (or adjust the quantity as needed.)
1 to 2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 potato, peeled and cubed
10 French beans cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cups peas, (frozen or fresh can be used.)
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1.5 cup thin coconut milk
Salt to taste

Method:
* Heat oil in a pan and add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and peppercorns. Sauté them until fragrant and then add ginger, garlic, chilies, a sprig of curry leaves and onion.
* Fry them until onion turns translucent and then add all the vegetables. Add thin coconut milk and salt to the pan. Cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
* Next add the thick coconut milk, stir and cook for a few more minutes.
* Heat a tsp. of ghee / oil and toast curry leaves for few seconds. Remove and add the toasted curry leaves to the cooked stew and stir gently.
* Turn off the stove and serve the stew warm with palappam, idiappam or rotis.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56.

21 comments:

  1. Vegetable stew looks so flavorful and tempting.That is one perfect combo to kick start the marathon.

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  2. First picture is stunning and love the rustic background. Stew looks flavorful.

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  3. I heard that this combo is a classic one but I personally never tried it. I am glad you are back with a bang!

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  4. Glad to see you back with a bang with this Kerala veg stew. Excellent preparation.
    Deepa

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  5. what aluscious and creamy looking soup - would love to try this in winter

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  6. One of my favorite combos, perfect for the theme and looks so tempting...

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  7. what a classic combo!!! great start to the marathon..

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  8. Veg stew is a classic combo for aappam and you have done it perfect.

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  9. wow thats a delicious combo ishtoo looks so yummy . Its making me hungry

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  10. Good to have you back Suma, and that too with a combo that's my favorite!..very nicely presented!

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  11. What a classic and flavorful combo, delicious.

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  12. I love this combo my friend Reena usually sends me the same combo for breakfast when she prepares it. Wish I could get a share of this too.

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  13. Aapam and stew is such a tasty combo Suma.Love the clicks...

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  14. Love this !! I like it more with rotis than appam :-))

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  15. Wow , this is a super duper combo from South that I love , and you have presented it beautifully, love those appams and want to dig in !

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  16. Love.. appam and stew is one of my favorite combo too.

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  17. I at first read it as kerala was so thrilled I was getting a new recipe with my fav vegetable. But then I saw the stew and loved it. Fab way to start the marathon.

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  18. Stew with appam, cant ask more.. Ishtoo is our family favourite eventhough we love it with some string hoppers, lovely start Suma.

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  19. I too have planned for this, will roll out next week!!! perfect combo and a classic one too!!!

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  20. What a classic and comforting dish you got there Suma. Welcome back to blogging and BM> Looking forward to your posts during the marathon.

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  21. Such a famous combo & i love this a lot.Looking absolutely delicious

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