Kerala Chicken Stew or chicken ishtu is a yummy chicken curry. We cook the chicken along with potato and whole spices in coconut milk based curry. It has just simple ingredients but tastes just out of the world.
Kerala Chicken Stew is a very popular chicken curry prepared with coconut milk. It is very light and makes amazing comfort food. We cook this for guests or during special ocassions. Indeed it is a rich and special dish for us.
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Kerala Chicken Stew
Kerala Chicken stew is a very popular and traditional Kerala dish. Chicken is cooked with a few vegetables and whole spices in a coconut milk base. We can serve the chicken stew with appam or Idiyappam (String Hoppers).
Chicken stew with coconut Milk
Generally, the chicken stew is a curry cooked with chicken broth and then with heavy cream. Kerala chicken stew recipe is slightly different we do not add heavy cream or the herbs like thyme rosemary. We keep it simple and the main flavor is from coconut milk.
Chicken Stew Ingredients :
Chicken - Use chicken pieces with bones. This gives a yummy and tasty stew.
Coconut Milk - You may use fresh homemade coconut milk or canned coconut milk.
Potato - Potato complements very well when cooked with chicken.
Oil - Recommend cooking with coconut oil for the authentic taste and flavor.
Green chili - We do not add any spice powders. It is the green chili that brings the spice element to the stew. Adjust the chili as per your taste.
Onion - Preferably red onion or white onion.
Garlic - We will chop the garlic and saute with oil. You may also crush the garlic and add.
Curry Leaves - Adds flavor to the stew.Whole spices- we go for cardamom, cinnamon.
Cashewnuts - I added the cashew nuts along with the whole spices. In some regions, they also make a paste of cashew and add it to the stew. This is for thickening or flavoring the curry.
FAQ's
how to make chicken stew indian style ?
You can cook the indian chicken stew with coconut milk your cooker or stove top. Stove top takes more time that the cooker method but the taste is good either ways. You can also add carrots along with paotato for cooking the ishtu curry. A creamy coconut chicken stew is more the Indian way.
Can we prepare chicken stew without coconut milk ?
We can defnitely prepare by replacing coconut milk with dairy or oat milk. But however i do not recommend replacing coconut milk. It is main flavoring ingredient and taste maker , so no substitute for its taste.
How to thicken the chicken ishtu ?
The curry is usually more watery as we dont have much spices or even tomoato added. You can add in cashew paste or even corn flour slurry to thicken the stew. Soak 15 cashews in hot water and grind to a fine paste after 30 mins. Or you may add 2 tbsp of corn flour and mix with ¼ cups of water. Thias helps the curry thicken a bit.
How to Prepare Kerala Chicken Stew
Instant Pot Method
1.Switch on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add in 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Let the oil heat up. Next add in cardamom, Cinnamon stick, and curry leaves. Saute for a few secs. Next, add in the green chilli and garlic, and cashew nuts. Saute till the cashews are slightly golden.
2. And then add in the onions and saute till they are soft. Keep stirring regularly else it might stick to the pot and start burning.
3. Now add in the cubed potato, give a mix.
4. And then add in the cleaned chicken pieces. Combine everything togther.
5. Add in the required salt. Next, add in the chicken stock or water. Give a good mix.
6. close the Instant Pot and select the pressure cook option and set 5 mins in high pressure.
7. Wait for 5 mins or natural pressure release (NPR). Then turn the pressure knob from the sealing position to the venting position. Let the pressure release. Once the silver pin goes down open the Instant Pot. The chicken is now beautifully cooked.
8. Press the saute button once again and cook for a min. Next add in the coconut milk give a good mix and switch off the Instant Pot. Delicious Kerala Style Chicken stew is ready.
Chicken Stew in Pressure Cooker
- Pressure cook Chicken, Cubed potato, Garlic, Green chili along with salt and ½ cup of water for 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to get released all by itself and then open the cooker.
- In a pan add in oil once it heats up add in the Cardamoms, Curry Leaves and Cinnamon stick, cashew nuts, and garlic and fry in a low flame till the raw smell leaves. Add in the green chili and saute for a few secs.
- Transfer the pressure-cooked chicken and potato along with the water to the pan. Cook till the gravy thickens.
- Next, add in the Coconut milk and salt and cook for 2 mins and switch off.
Tips & Variations
- Pairs well with Idiyappam and appam.
- You can also mash a potato and add it to the gravy to make it thick.
- For a vegan or vergetarian version of the stew you may also try my vegetable stew or poatato stew.
- For a good kerala non veg food or non vegetarian you may also try Kerala beef stew curry. I do not have the rcipes. You may just reclace chicken with stew and pressure cook for 12 mins and do a natural pressure relase . Follow the remaing steps as mentioned.
- If cooking in open pot or stove top we can also cook the chicken with a thin coconut milk and then once the chicken is cooked you may add in the thick coconut milk and switch off.
- Cooking for a longer time with thick coconut milk might get the coconut milk curdled. So we usually add towards the end and switch off.
- Same goes with the Instant pot cooking method too. We add coconut milk in the end and switch off.
Serving Suggestions
Appam and chicken stew is the best ever combination. But Chicken stew curry also goes well with idiyappam or Bread too.
For every Easter or Christmas, you may hear appam chicken stew is the breakfast in most of the Kerala households.
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📖 Recipe
Kerala Chicken Stew
Standard 1 cup measures 240 ml
Ingredients
- ½ kg Chicken
- 5 Garlic
- 2 Onion medium sized
- 2 Potato
- ½ cup Water
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 Green Chilli
- 1 inch piece Cinnamon stick
- 2 Cardamom
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 6 Cashewnuts
- Salt as needed
Instructions
Instant Pot Version
- Switch on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add in 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Let the oil heat up. Next add in cardamom, Cinnamon stick and curry leaves. Saute for a few secs. Next, add in the green chilli and garlic and cashew nuts. Saute till the cashews are slightly golden.
- And then add in the onions and saute till they are soft. Keep stirring regularly else it might stick to the pot and start burning.
- Now add in the cubed potato, give a mix.
- And then add in the cleaned chicken pieces. Combine everything togther.
- Add in the required salt.
- Next, add in the chicken stock or water. Give a good mix.
- close the Instant Pot and select the pressure cook option and set 5 mins in high pressure.
- Wait for 5 mins or natural pressure release (NPR). Then turn the pressure knob from the sealing position to the venting position. Let the pressure release. Once the silver pin goes down open the Instant Pot. The chicken is now beautifully cooked.
- Press the saute button once again and cook for a min. Next add in the coconut milk gives a good mix and switch off the Instant Pot.
- Delicious Kerala Style Chicken stew is ready.
Pressure cooker Version
- Pressure cook Chicken, Cubed potato, Garlic, Green chili along with salt and ½ cup of water for 2 whistles. Allow the pressure to get released all by itself and then open the cooker.
- In a pan add in oil once it heats up add in the Cardamoms, Curry Leaves and Cinnamon stick, cashew nuts, and garlic and fry in a low flame till the raw smell leaves. Add in the green chili and saute for a few secs.
- Transfer the pressure-cooked chicken and potato along with the water to the pan. Cook till the gravy thickens.
- Next, add in the Coconut milk and salt and cook for 2 mins and switch off.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist, the nutrition value provided here is an estimate. It will vary based on the quantity and brands of the products used.
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