Kerala Chicken Stew / Nadan Kozhi Stew With Video

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1. Chicken with bones 1 kg, cut into small pieces
2. Coconut oil 2 tbsp
3. Whole spices green cardamom 5, cloves 6, bay leaf 1, cinnamon stick 1 inch broken, whole pepper 1/4 tsp, fennel seeds 1 tiny pinch, star anise -1 small
4. Onion 1 medium-sized, thinly sliced and chopped into half
5. Ginger 2.5 tsp, thinly sliced
6. Garlic 3 4, chopped
7. Green Chilies 6 7, slit
8. Curry leaves 1 sprig
9. Thin coconut milk 1.5 cup
10. Potato 1 medium, cubed
11. Carrot 1 med-sized, cubed
12. Thick coconut milk 3/4 cup
13. Garam masala 1/8 tsp
14. Pepper powder 1/4 tsp
15. Salt As required

Method

1. Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces. Crush the whole spices very slightly in a mortar and pestle. This step is optional.

2. In a kadai/cheena chatti, heat some coconut oil and add whole spices and saut for a few seconds. Now add sliced onion, a pinch of salt, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves.

3. When the onion becomes soft, stir in the thin coconut milk. You just need to add 1 1.5 cup thin coconut milk since water will ooze out from the chicken also. Bring to a boil over medium flame. Add the chicken pieces and salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, few curry leaves and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook over medium low flame, stirring occasionally, until chicken and vegetables are completely done.

4. Add thick coconut milk, few curry leaves, sprinkle a pinch of garam masala powder if required, 1/4 tsp pepper powder(optional) and mix well. Cook for 1 2 minutes over low flame. Check for salt. Switch off. Keep aside for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with appam/ idiyappam/ pathiri / chapathi etc.

Tips :

1. You can also prepare this stew by pressure cooking the chicken and vegetables together over medium heat for 1 whistle. But slow cooking is always more tasty.

2. You can prepare mutton stew the same way. But first, pressure cook mutton with 1/2 cup water, 1-2 green chillies, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp garlic, few curry leaves and enough salt for at least 2 whistles. Then you can follow the above method.

3. Fry 3 sliced shallots in coconut oil / ghee and add to the curry when it is done. That will give a unique flavor to this stew. You could also garnish it with fried cashews.