EASY KERALA VEGETABLE STEW

This Easy Kerala Vegetable Stew, is a veggie-packed coconut curry that bursts with so much flavor! Made with simple ingredients in a delicious, thick broth – this stew can be made on the Stove top, or super quick in an Instant Pot! Here, I’ll share both methods!
The best part? You can have it ready in less than 30 minutes!

Looking for more Kerala Recipes? Try my Kerala Egg Roast, Kerala Beef Curry OR Kerala Fish Curry!

A meatless vegan instant pot stew, loaded with veggies like green beans and tender carrots – and actually tastes delicious? Count Me In!

My Story

There’s nothing quite like the comforting flavors of home-cooked meals.
Among them, this dish is always a stand out for me, and it never fails to bring my whole family around the dining table!
Kerala Vegetable Stew is fondly referred to as ishtu curry or vegetable ishtu in my hometown of Kerala, in South India. Traditionally, it’s paired with a soft and spongy, fermented rice-based pancake, named “appam”, aka vellayappam, palappam, kallappam. Appam is a great accompaniment to mop up the delicious, thick coconut milk gravy.
It’s a popular dish in Kerala cuisine and if you haven’t already tried it,
“Appam and Stew” make an incredible combination! 

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

What you’ll need, to make this easy KERALA STYLE VEGETABLE STEW RECIPE:

Ingredient Notes

Coconut Oil: although you can use any oil – I have only ever made this with coconut oil and it’s the best choice for this recipe! It is key to delivering the true authentic flavor and aroma for this instant pot vegetable stew;

Ginger & Garlic: for the aromatics of the flavor base. I prefer to use fresh, and crush it in a mortar and pestle. Fresh is best. However, this recipe will also work with store bought minced/crushed, garlic/ginger from a jar;

Chillies: two fresh or frozen chillies are not just for heat in this hearty stew, but also for great flavor! Split for more heat, or keep whole for less. Generally, most green chillies are not very spicy/hot, but if you can’t handle any heat, skip it – or reduce to one chilli, and remove after it’s done cooking;

Curry Leaves: this herb adds a unique depth of earthy/zesty flavor to this stew, it is essential for this recipe and should not be substituted with any other herb! The taste is hard to describe, but if it’s not there, you’ll know it’s missing! Use fresh curry leaves, which can be found at your local Indian grocer – or ask an Indian friend! Chances are, they could be growing it in their garden!;

Spices: I lightly spice this dish with freshly ground fennel seeds & black pepper corns only. Buying whole seeds and grinding the spices yourself, is a game-changer here. I highly recommend it, as it makes a big difference to the overall flavor of the dish. Many kerala veg stew recipes suggest adding garam masala powder, but it is not necessary. Simplicity is key, and less is more with this easy recipe;

Mixed Veggies: I specifically incorporate only four main vegetables in this veggie stew, as this combination of vegetables all have similar cooking times. Fresh carrots and potatoes are used alongside frozen green peas and cut green beans. You could opt for entirely frozen veggies if you prefer;

Potatoes: potatoes are a key ingredient, essential for both flavor and thickening the broth;

Coconut Milk: for a quick, rich, creamy broth, use full-fat canned or powdered coconut milk. I highly recommend the brands Kara OR Ayam – which offer both options, and have the most authentic flavor.
With the powdered version, you can easily achieve your desired consistency – whether it be a thin coconut milk, thick coconut milk or even coconut cream!
It’s quick to prepare, by simply mixing the powder with water. Use warm water, not boiling or overly hot water – as it will alter the original coconut flavour.
Using the powder is also a great way to avoid opening a whole can, if you don’t intend to use it all! Follow packet instructions for powder:water ratios.
My No.1 choice for this recipe is the brand Kara, it gives this Kerala stew, real restaurant quality vibes and flavor! Ofcourse, if you have fresh coconut milk, even better!
As a side note, these are the brands I recommend based on my experience with this dish – but feel free to use any coconut milk that you prefer!;

Cutting The Veggies!

Although it may seem like a trivial detail, the way you cut your veggies will always impact your final dish! In this recipe, I cut the potatoes and carrots uniform, so they cook through in roughly the same amount of time. Below, I’m sharing some images of how I cut my onions, potatoes and carrots for this stew!

How To Make EASY KERALA VEGETABLE STEW: Step-By-Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions with the exact ingredients are printable in the recipe card below!

Step 1:
Select the sauté function on your instant pot (normal temperature setting) and heat coconut oil. Add sliced onions and sauté till they have softened and are golden.
If you are making this on the stove top, heat coconut oil and sauté onions using a low to medium flame.

Step 2: Add crushed garlic & ginger, cook 1-2 minutes.
Followed by chillies and torn fresh curry leaves, mix and cook 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Add spices and salt, mix and cook 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Add all the veggies, mix and cook a further 1-2 minutes.
Then add water, mix and cook 1-2 minutes.

Step 5:
INSTANT POT COOKING: Close the lid and select the pressure cook function. Set pressure level to high pressure and set timer to 2 minutes. Once the timer beeps and the cooking time has ended, allow pressure to release naturally.
STOVE TOP METHOD: Follow all of the steps above, once you close the lid the cook time will just be longer. Cook till the potatoes are fork tender (approximately 10 minutes).

Step 6: Once all the remaining pressure has released, open the instant pot lid and add coconut milk into the hot stew. Select saute mode for 1-2 minutes to allow coconut milk to heat through.

Step 7: Finish by adding one tablespoon of coconut oil and torn fresh curry leaves, mix well.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

TIP 1 – PRESSURE COOK: Whether this hearty stew is made in the Instant Pot or using the conventional Stove Top method – the easiest way to know if your veggies are perfectly cooked, is when the potatoes are fork tender. If you are making this as an Instant Pot recipe, I always suggest letting the pressure release naturally, because you end up with perfectly cooked veggies every time! For this recipe, I don’t recommend the quick release pressure option on the instant pot, as the veggies could be underdone.

TIP 2 – SAUTE ONIONS: The onions sauté quite quickly, taking only 5-7 minutes. You want them to be golden, not brown. Traditionally, the finished broth is a nice white color, so it’s important to avoid overcooking the onions, as this will result in browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pot – and affect the final color of the stew. At times, I toggle between the “Normal” and “Less” temperature settings for sautéing, to avoid the onions becoming brown.
Please note, buttons on different models of Instant Pots can vary; more details about buttons & temperatures below:

SAUTE FUNCTION TEMPERATURES
“Less” mode: 135 ~ 150°C (275 ~ 302°F);
“Normal” mode: 160 ~ 176°C (320 ~ 349°F);
“More” mode: 175 ~ 210°C (347 ~ 410°F);
– if you have the “Adjust” button, select it till the light for “Normal” appears
– if you do not have the “Adjust” button, you can toggle between the “Less, Normal and More” temperature settings, by pressing the Sauté button repeatedly – till you get to your desired option.

TIP 3: SPICES: When it comes to spices, I avoid pre-ground store bought spices where possible. Although I do use them occasionally for their convenience – I do not compromise ease over flavor. Especially when the prep work takes no time at all! I always recommend grinding whole spices yourself – it’s the best way to fully appreciate their flavor and truly makes a big difference, to the overall taste of the dish! In this recipe, I use freshly ground whole black pepper corns and fennel seeds. Store spices in a glass jar for extended use.

EXPERT TIP
For maximum flavor, tear up curry leaves before use!

Watch How To Make It!

Storage & Reheating

Reheating: Reheating this stew in the microwave is the quickest and easiest option. You could also reheat on the stove top, or even in the instant pot using the keep warm or sauté functions. Be sure not to heat it to boiling point, you only want it to heat through. If you boil it, there is a high chance the coconut milk can split.

Storage: If you happen to have any leftovers for the next day – store this Kerala Vegan Stew in the refrigerator for upto 3 days. Always remember, stews/curries/soups made with coconut milk tend to have a shorter fridge life. I love storing stews/curries in glass pyrex or decor storage containers. I avoid plastic storage options where possible.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this stew. It doesn’t taste the same when thawed.

Additions & Substitutions

Additions: Here are some ingredients you can add to this Kerala Veg Stew Recipe:

• Veggies – cauliflower, parsnips, swede, white radish or turnips would be great additions. However, adding too many veggies will alter the authentic taste of the stew completely. It’s best to add just one or two additional veggies if you would like to. If you wish to add other veggies like broccoli – be sure to cook them separately and add them at the end, as it has a different cook time.

Substitutions: Feel free to use any of these substitutions!

• Coconut Oil: technically, you can use any oil as a substitute. However, only coconut oil can deliver that true authentic flavor and aroma, making it the best choice. It’s the only oil I use for this dish;
• Garlic & Ginger: if you don’t have fresh ginger & garlic on hand, you can use store-bought minced/crushed ginger/garlic in a jar.
• Coconut Milk: if you don’t have canned coconut milk, you can use the powdered version of either Kara or Ayam coconut milk, OR feel free to use any coconut milk that you prefer!
• Veggies – cauliflower, parsnips, swede, white radish or turnips are the only veggies I would use as substitutes in this recipe, due to similar cook times and for overall flavor matching.
• Frozen mixed vegetables: frozen veggies make this stew that much easier to make! Try to use only the 4 vegetables or substitutes I’ve mentioned above. Many frozen vegetable packets often contain ingredients like peppers, broccoli, and snow peas, all of which cook much faster than potatoes. This can result in the stew becoming overly mushy, detracting from its authentic style. If you want to add these veggies, cook them till tender in a separate pot and add them in at the end of the recipe!

Your Questions Answered

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I hope you enjoyed this Kerala Recipe of Veg Stew! If you gave this very simple dish a try, please be sure to leave a comment and rating! I’d love to hear your thoughts! Happy Cooking!