Vegetable Stew

For Appam and Chappathi, I normally make a vegetable curry (with boiled eggs). It can be the stew which is white in color since there is no chilly/turmeric/coriander powders or the one where all these powders are added. The one below is the white one or the stew. One can also add whole cashew nuts or grind the cashew nuts to make a richer stew. Tomato can be added for an extra taste.

Ingredients

1. Mixed vegetables (beans, potato, carrot, peas) - 2 cups

 

2. Onion sliced lengthwise - 1 number

3. Finely sliced ginger and garlic  - 1 tblspn each

 

4. Green chillies, slit lengthwise - 5 or more as per your taste

 

5. Coconut powder - 3 + 1 Tbspn or 1 cup grated coconut

 

6. Cloves - 2 number

 

7. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

 

8. Cardamom - 2 pods

 

9. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

 

10. Oil (Coconut preferable) - 2 Tbspn

 

11. Tomato cut into small cubes - 1 number (optional)

 

12. Cashew nuts - 6 or more (optional)

 

13. Pepper powder - 1/2 tspn

 

14. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn

 

15. Salt to taste

 

 

Method

 

Clean and cut the vegetable into medium, equal-sized pieces. If using coconut, extract the milk and keep the first extraction separate. Heat the oil and add the whole spices, once the smell is released, add the sliced onion and curry leaves. Sauté it until transparent. Now add the vegetables along with the coconut extract or 3 tbspn of coconut powder along with 2 cups of water. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, one can add the tomato and cashew paste. The cashew paste will thicken the stew so one should adjust the water accordingly. Add the remaining coconut powder mixed in water or the first extract of coconut milk along with the pepper and garam masala. Heat it briefly without boiling over and remove from fire.

 

Enjoy! 

 

 

Tips that work : preserving Curry leaves/Coriander leaves

Upon returning from vacation, along with various other stuff, I bring a lot of curry leaves, mostly plucked from our backyard (free from pesticides) and in case of shortage, MIL ensures it comes over from a neighbor. As per my MIL, it is good for the tree if you break it off once in a while so that fresh shoots come a little faster. Last month when our son came visiting, even he brought a big bunch of them. Preserving it was always a challenge and initially most of it used to be wasted even after I share it with my neighbor. It is then I started freezing the washed and dried leaves. It was good enough as long as you ensure you don't keep it out of the freezer more than a few seconds. Recently I came upon a video where it was preserved in the vegetable tray itself, long enough. As everyone knows, curry leaves and any such leafy stuff needs to be bought as a bunch and unless you are going to finish it fast, most of it will rot away.

This time I froze a portion, even dried (for making hair oil) and tried the new tip that worked. The curry leaves are fresh for over a month now!

All you need to do is wash them well, dry them by spreading it on a newspaper/paper towel/cloth towel and then wrap it in a paper towel and stuff it inside a re-sealable plastic bag. While sealing the bag, take out as much air as you can and each time you open the bag, you can replace the tissue/paper towel, if it has become wet.

Still looks good after more than a month




Still fresh after 2 weeks