Kerala Chicken Stew Recipe | Kozhi Ishtu Recipe (2024)

• Chicken with bones : 1.65 lb /750 grms /3/4 kg cut into medium size pieces
• Onion : 1 medium thinly sliced
• Potato : 1 medium cubed
• Carrot :1 small-medium cubed
• Ginger : 1 tbsp thinly julienned
• Garlic : 1 tbsp thinly sliced
• Green Chillies : 2-3 slit lengthwise, remove seeds if you don’t like spicy
• Whole Black Peppercorns : 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom : 3
• Cloves : 3
• Cinnamon :1" piece
• Bay Leaves : 3
• Star Anise : 2
• Curry leaves : 2 sprig
• Shallots /Red Small Onion : 4-5 thinly sliced
• Thick Coconut Milk First extract : 1 cup or The milk of one grated coconut
• Semi- Thin Coconut Milk Second & Third extract : 21/2 cup
• Cashew : 6-8 Soak in hot water and grind it along with water to smooth paste - it's purely optional step
• Black Pepper Powder : 1 tsp or to taste Optional
• Coconut Oil : 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Coconut Milk from the scratch :

• First milk to be extracted by squeezing the milk with your hands, or mixing in a blender for a minute, after adding 1/4 cup of warm water, The second and third milk are to be extracted by adding 1 cup of warm water in a similar way and kept aside.

Chicken Stew :

• In a large pressure cooker or in a pan, heat coconut oil; add the cardamom, cloves, whole pepper corn, cinnamon, star anise and bay leaves and sauté for a minute.

• Add the sliced onions, ginger, garlic, slitted green chilies and curry leaves; sauté till it turns to soft and pink in color. (Note : Onions need not be browned for the stew)

• Add chicken pieces, cubed carrots, potatoes and salt. Combine everything well. Add semi thin coconut milk.Cover, cook till the chicken is fully cooked.

• If you're using cashew paste then add the grounded cashew paste to thick coconut milk.

• When chicken is cooked; add the cashew-thick coconut milk and reduce the flame and cook for 5 minutes or until you get the required thickness.

• In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil and add sliced small red onion/shallots and curry leaves and fry till become light brown color. Remove and add to the stew and sprinkle pepper powder if needed.

• Delicious chicken stew is ready to serve.Serve hot with Appam or Bread and enjoy!