Kerala-Style Chicken Stew with Coconut Milk and Vegetables
Lalkila Kitchen · Chicken · Meat · Main dishes · Kerala
Coconut milk, whole spices and green chilli make a gentle-looking stew whose heat depends on the chillies used. Potato and carrot cook in the same pot as the chicken. This stovetop adaptation is suited to a home kitchen without a pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 potato, cubed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 large carrot, cubed
- 2–5 green chillies, slit, to taste
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 2 small cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 bay leaf
- A sprig of curry leaves
- Chopped coriander to finish
- 3 tsp coconut oil
- 250 ml water initially, plus more as needed
- 240 ml thick coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- Salt to taste
Method
- Warm 2 tsp oil; add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, then garlic, ginger, onions and chillies.
- Add vegetables, chicken, bay and water. Cover and simmer gently until vegetables are tender and chicken reaches74°C/165°F; add water as needed.
- Stir in coconut milk, pepper, salt, curry leaves, coriander and remaining oil. Heat through gently. Remove whole spices before serving.
Cooking notes
Use unsweetened coconut milk rather than a sweetened coconut drink. The source pairs the stew with appam; plain rice is another practical accompaniment. This version specifies boneless thigh for a consistent method and does not claim to represent every Kerala family's stew.
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Source and adaptation
Adapted in original wording from Kerala Tourism's “Appam and Chicken Stew” recipe, using the stew component only. Original recipe.
Uses boneless thigh and a covered stovetop simmer instead of the source's short pressure-cooking instruction.
This is an editorial adaptation, not kitchen-tested by Lalkila. FoodSafety.gov cooking temperatures and safe food handling provide the safety references. The featured image is a generated illustration of this recipe.