Kerala Chicken Stew

Many many  years ago when I went for a Wedding reception in Kochi they served appam with a Kerala chicken stew. I was probably only 8 years then but when it involves food I have a photographic memory! There was karimeen fry, fish molly , pork ullarthu and lots of other yummy food. Now when I think about it seemed like a posh reception to be serving a buffet party that long ago! Any way the taste of that food is still lingering in my mouth and appam and chicken stew became my favourite food. I do make this stew a lot at home and my son loves it too. I usually makes the stew for dinner and pair it with appam and next morning I make some fresh idiyappam to eat the left over stew and I have to say those two combination are probably the match made in heaven !

Ingredients

Chicken with bones – 500gm

(Whole garam masala)

Fennel seeds/ പെരും ജീരകം  – 1 tsp

Cinnamon stick/പട്ട – 1 small stick

Cloves/ ഗ്രാമ്പു – 3-3

Cardamom/ഏലക്ക – 3-4

Star anise/ തകോളം - 1

Bay leaf / പട്ട ഇല – 2

Onion (medium) – 2 chopped + ½ thinly sliced

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp

Potato – 2 small

Carrot – 1

Coconut milk – 1 cup ( ¾ cup thin milk + ¼ cup thick milk)

Green chillies – 2

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Cashewnut – ¼ cup  soaked in water and ground to paste (optional)

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

• Turmeric powder – pinch (optional)
• Pepper powder- 1 tsp
• Salt
• Oil/Ghee
• Water

Method

• Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper and leave it aside.
• In a saucepan/kadai/ ചീനചട്ടി  add oil and add the whole garam masala ingredients mentioned and when it starts to give a good aroma  add the chopped onions. Saute the onions until light brown in colour.
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, curry leaves and saute until raw smell goes off.
• Add coriander powder, pinch of turmeric and fry for a few seconds.
• Add the chicken, cubed potato and carrots and add the thin coconut milk too. Cover and cook until chicken is almost done.
• Finally add the thick coconut milk, cashew paste and water as required and when it is about to boil remove from fire.
• In a small pan add oil/ghee and add thinly sliced onions and fry till brown. Add the fried onion to the gravy.
• Serve hot with Appam/Idiyappam /chapathi or Porotta!