This easy, delectable and comforting Kerala style Potato Stew or Ishtew is made with potatoes, coconut milk, shallots or pearl onions, and some basic herbs, spices. You can have it in breakfast with appam or dosa or as a lunch or dinner.
Take 1 teaspoon whole black pepper and 2 cloves in a mortar-pestle. Crush coarsely. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a pan.
Add ½ cup thinly sliced pearl onions or shallots or onions, 1 small tej patta, ginger juliennes, 10 to 12 curry leaves and 1 green chilli - slit (optional).
Also add the crushed black pepper and cloves.
Sauté the onions on low to medium-low heat till they soften and turn translucent. Do not brown them. Remember to stir the onions at regular intervals till they become translucent.
Then add chopped potatoes and mix them with the onions and spices.
Now add 2 cups water or thin coconut milk. Season with salt as required.
Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a medium-low to medium heat till the potatoes are cooked and are fork tender. In between do check and stir while the potatoes are cooking.
Simmer till the potatoes have softened. The potatoes need to be cooked well, but do not overcook the potatoes.
Keep the heat to a low and add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
Mix very well and gently heat through for a minute or two. Do not heat too much or else the coconut milk can separate.
Serve potato stew with appams, idiyappams, soft dosa or ghee rice or cumin rice. You can also have it with Indian flatbreads like roti or plain paratha or lachha paratha.
Refrigerate any leftover stew and use it up in one day.
Notes
You can opt to use either pearl onions or shallots or regular onions. You can also skip adding tej patta.
You can add water instead of thin coconut milk. If you do not prefer to add water, then mix and dilute canned thick coconut milk with some water. Mix about 1 cup of canned coconut milk with 1 cup of water.
Use Yukon Gold, Red potatoes, Small Potatoes (Baby Potatoes), Purple Potatoes, New Potatoes and Fingerling Potatoes to make this stew.
Add in some green peas for some color and more nutrition.
For a less spiced version, add about ½ teaspoon of black peppercorns. You can also skip the green chilli if you prefer.
Coconut oil is a must in this recipe for the authentic taste and flavor. However, if you do not have it, feel free to use any neutral tasting oil like sunflower, canola or avocado oil.
After adding the coconut milk, you have to just stir it gently and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not heat too much as then the coconut milk may curdle or separate.
The recipe can be doubled or tripled for more servings.