Veg stew

The stew also called ishtoo (funny) is ultimate vegetarian combination for Appam / idiappam.

The hot stew should be generously poured on the appam. It should be soaked and then the taste is mesmerizing.

Stew is a soup made of coconut milk along with some vegetables.

Veggies like potatoes, carrots, green peas, cauliflower can be used.

If you had missed my appam recipe.. click this – Appam recipe

Coming to stew recipe

Ingredients:

• Medium sized potato – 3
• Medium sized carrot – 2
• Medium sized Onion - 2
• Coconut – 1 small size. (or half of big sized coconut)
• Curry leaves  - 1 string
• Black pepper – crushed – 1 tsp
• Green chili – 2 numbers, slit into half.
• Masala spices – (2 -cardamom, 2 - bay leaves,  2  - Cloves, 1 – star anise, 1 inch Cinnamon stick)
• Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and dice potato, carrot, onion into cubes and keep it aside.  The size should be ½ inch approximately.

Now we have to extract the coconut milk with the help of a strainer. We need the milk in 3 thicknesses. - 1 super thick, 2 lil think, 3 super thin.

Grate or slice the coconut, add lil water and grind in mixer. Squeeze well and extract the first milk.

Now add a ½ cup of water to the pulp and grind again. Squeeze well and extract the milk again. Now this is little thick.

For the third batch add water and extract milk as much as possible, till the pulp becomes dry.

If you have bought stored bought coconut milk / milk powder,  prepare the milk in 3 different thickness by adding required water.

In a pressure cooker, add the diced veggies, onion, curry leaves (no stock at home) and third milk (thin milk) and water till the veggies are fully immersed.

Add the spices and salt and sliced green chili.

Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Once the pressure is released, add the second coconut milk and salt and let it boil.

Ad 

Switch off the stove add the thick coconut milk and crushed pepper and give a stir.

Serve hot with appam / idiappam / oothappam.

Appam

I never miss the opportunity of eating appam and kadalakari whenever I visit kerala. Even in kumarokam restaurant that’s my first choice. I love the pillowy soft appam and a spicy curry to go with it. Sometimes the plain coconut milk with some sugar and a hint of cardamom is soothing too.

When I was living in adambakkam, there was a place I occasionally buy readymade appam batter from a shop. So I never had a chance to make the batter at home. Now that we have relocated to different place, i have to prepare from scratch.

This weekend special was appam and veg stew. My daughter Lakshmi loved it. What more a mother want?

I referred the recipe from Kothiyavunnu blog.

Ingredients for appam batter:

• Raw rice  - 4 cups
• Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
• Cooked rice – 1 to 2 cups
• Grated coconut – 1 cup
• Salt to taste.
• Active dry Yeast – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1 tsp

Method :

Wash and Soak the raw rice and fenugreek seeds for atleast 2 hrs.

Drain the water, grind it along with the cooked rice and grated coconut adding water little by little.

Grind it into smooth paste for about 15 mins in the wet grinder. It resembles much like dosa batter. Collect the batter in a vessel. The vessel should be large enough, because after fermentation the batter will rise considerably.

Now we have to prepare the yeast solution. Few months before I was very afraid to handle the yeast, because we had no idea about it growing up in sambar sadham eating family.

Buy a packet of Active dry yeast. It is available in many super markets. We can use and store it back  in the refrigerator. So no worries. That was another concern for me.

Take warm water in a small bowl. Warm water is required for the yeast to get activated.  If it is hot, it kills the yeast. So make sure it is warm.

In the warm water, add a tsp of yeast and sugar and give a mix.

Keep it in the kitchen counter without disturbing for 15 mins. Now the bubbles will form and yeast will be activated.

Add the mixture to the batter and mix the batter well.

Now the batter has to ferment for about 8 hours in the room temperature. Overnight would be fine.

While you plan to make appam, add the salt. This will prevent from too much fermentation.

The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Now we will see how to make the appams.

Heat the appa kadai, grease it with lil oil. A drop of oil is enough.

Pour a ladle of batter in the centre and swirl the appa chatti.

Then close it with the lid. Cook in the high flame. till the centre of the appam gets completely cooked. It takes less than a minute to cook one appam.

The appam comes out of the kadai without any effort. It means the batter is perfect. If it sticks then there is something wrong with the batter or try it grease it better.

Below video explains the method

Non stick Appa kadai with the handle is available in the markets and easy to handle. But I use the normal iron one without handle. That works super good for me.

Enjoy the appam with veg stew / coconut milk / or some spicy curry. Appam with egg curry is a classic combo J.