A family-friendly Indian Dish that Everyone will Love

The cuisine of Kerala in South India is varied and diverse. This delicately spiced Chicken Vegetable Stew recipe comes from the Christian community who migrated to Kerala from Syria centuries ago.

The spices of India, the Dutch East Indies and Ceylon; cinnamon, star anise, cardamom pods, fresh curry leaves, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, ginger and garlic are added to ‘English’ colonial vegetables and chicken. Kerala was one of India’s centres for trading and growing spices in the 18th and 19th centuries. This influenced the cooking of the Christian community who had settled in Central Kerala from Syria, centuries earlier.

This Chicken Vegetable Stew is perfect served with appams, a steamed rice pancake, spongey in the middle to soak up the flavours and lacey and crisp at the edges. This quick and easy dish also goes well with steamed Basmati rice or bread rolls.

This lovely Chicken Vegetable Stew is gluten, peanut, egg and dairy free. It’s delicious as a vegetarian main made with chickpeas instead of chicken.

A Chicken Vegetable Stew from Kochi Kerala

I first learnt this dish from Chef Nitin at the gorgeous Brunton’s Boatyard Hotel in Kochi, Kerala. It is quite different from Nitin’s Kerala Fish Curry (Mean Molee). The Meen Mollee is a hotter, thicker dish that includes mustard seeds, fenugreek and tomato.

I’ve developed this recipe to serve four to six people using half a kilogram each of chicken and seasonal vegetables.  Light coconut milk works well but gives a lighter dish. Regular coconut milk gives a richer dish. You may well like to use a mix of both.

Niulife Coconut Oil is well worth considering if you’d like to support a very socially motivated business. Niulife gives 100% of the profits back to the villagers that make their oil.

I do hope you enjoying cooking and serving this dish as much as I have. Please do let me know how it works for you!

Print Recipe

Syrian Christian Style Kerala Chicken and Vegetable Stew

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Indian

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Passive Time

10 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 3 whole Star Anise Whole
• 6 whole Cardamom pods Roughly crushed
• 5 whole Cloves Whole
• 1/2-1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns Vary to taste 1 Tbsp is quite spicy so use 1/2 if you're unsure
• 3/4 whole Cinnamon Stick
• 2 whole Bay Leaves Break these up just little
• 1/2 Green Chilli Optional It's still quite spicy with just the peppercorns
• 4 cloves Fresh Garlic Finely chopped
• 1& 1/2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Finely chopped
• 3 stems Fresh Curry Leaves Remove leaves from stems Remove leaves from stems and keep some for the garnish
• 2 small Red onions Diced
• 2 tsp Salt - Vary to taste
• 500 grams Skinless Chicken breast fillet Cubed Skinless chicken thigh fillet would also work
• 500 grams Vegetables of choice diced For example carrots, green beans, cauliflower, leek, peas, zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potato
• 1 cup water
• 400 grams Coconut Milk Light coconut milk works well but gives a lighter dish. Regular coconut milk gives a richer dish.
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice or White Vinegar Optional

Course Main Dish Cuisine Indian Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Passive Time 10 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1-2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 3 whole Star Anise Whole 6 whole Cardamom pods Roughly crushed 5 whole Cloves Whole 1/2-1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns Vary to taste 1 Tbsp is quite spicy so use 1/2 if you're unsure 3/4 whole Cinnamon Stick 2 whole Bay Leaves Break these up just little 1/2 Green Chilli Optional It's still quite spicy with just the peppercorns 4 cloves Fresh Garlic Finely chopped 1& 1/2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Finely chopped 3 stems Fresh Curry Leaves Remove leaves from stems Remove leaves from stems and keep some for the garnish 2 small Red onions Diced 2 tsp Salt - Vary to taste 500 grams Skinless Chicken breast fillet Cubed Skinless chicken thigh fillet would also work 500 grams Vegetables of choice diced For example carrots, green beans, cauliflower, leek, peas, zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potato 1 cup water 400 grams Coconut Milk Light coconut milk works well but gives a lighter dish. Regular coconut milk gives a richer dish. 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice or White Vinegar Optional

Instructions

1. Prepare all ingredients

   
2. Heat coconut oil in a large pan with a lid (or use a dinner plate) preferably non-stick.
3. Once oil is hot, add spices and stir fry for 3 minutes. Tilt your pan if using gas to pool the oil. **Be very careful to use the lid to protect yourself from hot seeds popping out of the pan. You may almost need to cover most of the open top of the pan. 


   
4. Add garlic and ginger ( and green chilli if using) and stir-fry for 2 minutes before adding the curry leaves for another 2 minutes. 


   
5. Add the diced onion and the salt as the salt helps it to cook more quickly. Stir-fry until onion is starting to brown. 


   
6. Stir fry diced chicken until no longer pink. 


   
7. Add diced vegetables and stir fry for a few minutes before adding the water and covering with the lid.

   
8. Cook until vegetables are tender.

   
9. Take the pan off the heat and add the coconut milk and the lemon juice or vinegar if using. Adjust the salt to taste.

   
10. Serve garnished with fresh curry leaves and steamed rice and a side salad.