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Kerala chicken stew
Kozhi ishtu (കോഴി ഇഷ്ടു): Kerala chicken and potatoes in a mild coconut-milk stew with whole spices
Easter morning in a Syrian Christian home in Kottayam or Thrissur means lacy appam and a pot of chicken ishtu, and the same stew is the classic breakfast in Kochi's old hotels: bone-in chicken and potatoes simmered in coconut milk with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger and green chilli until tender. It is creamy, fragrant and mild enough for children. A portion is about 390 kcal; skinless thighs and part-thin coconut milk keep it lighter than most. The mistake most people make is cooking the potatoes in the thick coconut milk from the start, so the milk splits by the time the chicken is done; cook in the thin milk and add the thick at the end. Chef's tip: fry a few slices of shallot in coconut oil and scatter them over just before serving; it adds a sweet, toasted edge.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom podslightly crushed
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 onionsliced
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingercut into matchsticks
- 4 garlic clovessliced
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 ½ lb skinless chicken thighsbone-in, each cut in two
- 2 potatoespeeled, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 carrot (optional)cut into chunks
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milkor 150 ml coconut milk mixed with 250 ml water
- ¾ cup coconut milkfull fat
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom pods and ½ tsp black peppercorns and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 onion, 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 3 green chillies and half the 6 curry leaves and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown.
5 minStep 3: Add 1 ½ lb skinless chicken thighs and stir for 3–4 minutes, until it turns white all over.
4 minStep 4: Add 2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 ¼ tsp salt and 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 22–25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part, with clear juices at the bone.
25 minStep 5: Pour in ¾ cup coconut milk and the rest of the 6 curry leaves and heat gently for 2 minutes without letting it boil. Remove the cinnamon stick if you like and serve with appam, idiyappam or bread.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kerala chicken stew take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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