The Best Kerala Chicken Stew Recipe (Step by Step)

Chicken stew is a popular dish around the world but everyone has their own version of the recipe. In Kerala (South India) chicken stew is often considered as a traditional breakfast for special occasions like Christmas, Easter, etc. The main ingredients in this recipe are chicken and coconut milk. Chicken is cooked in rich coconut milk, with potatoes, carrots, and spices

Kerala Style Chicken Stew Recipe

What goes in Chicken Stew?

Here is what you need:

• Chicken – wash the chicken pieces and cut them into small pieces.
• Ginger Garlic Paste – Ground ginger and garlic to paste and set aside. While fresh is ideal it is ok to replace it with store-bought ginger/garlic paste.
• Potatoes – Wash and cut into small pieces
• Carrot – Wash and cut into small pieces.
• Coconut Milk – This recipe tastes better if the coconut milk is thick. If you use low-fat coconut milk instead of full fat your sauce may not be thick as expected. I often use a brand known as Aroy-D coconut milk.
• Garam Masala –

Most of these spices are available in supermarkets and local Indian grocery stores. You can also find these spices cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Fennel, garam masala on amazon.

How to make this Chicken Stew?

Marinate Chicken

Combine chicken with black pepper, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Marinate for one hour

Cook Vegetables

Cut carrots and potatoes into small pieces. Add just enough water (1 1/2 cups) and salt and cook them. keep it aside

Cook Chicken

Heat oil in a large saucepan on med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp butter. Once the butter is melted add dry whole spices, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seed, and curry leaves. Fry them for about a minute until it is fragrant.

Add crushed ginger & garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the raw smell is gone. Add sliced green chilies and onions. Saute them until the onion is light brown.

Add marinated chicken pieces. Add 1/2 of the coconut milk, black pepper, and salt as needed. Mix it all very well and cook covered over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked. Add cooked potatoes and carrots to the chicken. Cook for another 5 minutes covered. Then add the remaining coconut milk, vinegar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Let it boil for a few minutes.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on med-high heat. Add mustard seed and 2 whole red chilies. Once the mustard seed begins popping, turn off the heat. Pour the mustard seeds into the chicken stew.

The Secret to an amazing Chicken Stew

Make sure to sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger until it is light golden color over low heat, and they turn into a sweet, savory flavor base for the sauce.

Then the quality of coconut milk also makes a difference. The full-fat thick coconut milk gives a creamy authentic stew flavor!!

What to Serve with Chicken Stew

It goes so well with Appam, flatbread, basmati rice, etc.

Chicken Stew Recipe (Kerala Style)

Kerala Style Chicken Stew Recipe is a rich coconut milk curry made with vegetable and chicken and flavoured with aromatic spices like cardomom, peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves. It is best served with kerala style appams, Nans, Chapati, Puri or even iddiyappams for any occasion.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Indian

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 1 kg Chicken, cut in to small pieces
• 2 potato, cut in to small pieces
• 1 carrot, cut in to small pieces
• 2 Medium Yellow Onions
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed or sliced
• ginger, small piece, crushed or sliced
• coconut milk (1 Can), 2 Cups
• 6 green chillies
• 1/2 tbsp Vinegar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tbsp salt

Whole Dry Spices

• 4 cardomom
• 5 cloves
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seed
• small piece of cinnamon stick

Powdered Dry Spices

• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

Instructions

 

• wash the chicken pieces and cut them to small pieces.
• Crush ginger and garlic and set aside.

MARINATE CHICKEN

• Combine chicken with black pepper, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Marinate for one hour

COOK VEGETABLES

• Cut carrot and potatoes in to small pieces
• Add enough water and salt and cook them. keep it aside

COOK CHICKEN

• heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter.
• add dry whole spices, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seed and curry leaves. Fry them for about a minute until it is fragrant.
• Add crushed ginger and garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes, stir frequently, until the raw smell is gone.
• Add sliced green chillies and sliced onions. Saute them until the onion is light brown. Onion does not need to be golden brown for stew.
• Add marnated chicken pieces. Add 1/2 of the coconut milk, black pepper and salt as needed. Mix it all very well and cook covered over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked, add cooked potatoes and carrot to the chicken. Combine everything well. Cover and cook for another 5 mintues.
• Then add the remaining coconut milk, Vinegar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Let it boil for a few minutes until you get the desired consistency.
• In a small frying pan, heat oil and then add mustard seed, whole chilli and curry leaves and allow it to splutter. Pour that over the chicken stew.
• Turn off heat and enjoy!!!

Notes

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