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South Indian · Indian

Kerala chicken stew

Non-vegetarian

A gentle, ivory-coloured Kerala stew of chicken, potatoes and carrots simmered in coconut milk with whole spices, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves.

Kerala chicken stew is a South Indian curry, ready in about 55 minutes and made with chicken thigh, coconut milk and coconut cream. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
591

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the coconut oil (opens in a new tab) and add the cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cloves (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and peppercorns. When fragrant, add the onions (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), green chillies and curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and cook until the onions are soft but not coloured.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the chicken and stir until it turns white all over.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw chicken.

  3. Step 3

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), coconut milk (opens in a new tab), water and salt. Cover and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the thickest part.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the coconut cream (opens in a new tab) and heat through without boiling. Rest a few minutes before serving.

    • 3 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Kerala, India · Well documentedEspecially associated with Syrian Christian households, where it is a classic Easter and Christmas breakfast with appam.More food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Stewed
Taste
mild, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, peppery
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Child-friendly · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Coconut milk · Coconut cream · Coconut oil · Cinnamon · Cloves
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

591 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 519 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 21%
  • Fat 56%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy591 kcal114 kcal
Protein35.3 g6.8 g
Carbohydrate31.8 g6.1 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat37.6 g7.2 g
Saturated fat28.9 g5.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol141 mg27 mg
Sodium904 mg174 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1231 mg
Calcium
85 mg
Iron
5.5 mg
Magnesium
114 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
140 µg
Vitamin C
42 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
53 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • For an authentic finish, make fresh coconut milk: the thin second extract for simmering, the thick first extract to finish.

Common mistakes

  • Browning the onions — ishtu should stay pale.
  • Boiling after the thick coconut milk goes in, which makes it split.

Serve with

  • Serve with appam, idiyappam (string hoppers) or bread.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently on a low heat.

Variations

  • Vegetable or mutton stew: The same coconut-milk base is used for mixed vegetables or mutton.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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