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Kerala-Style Chicken and Cauliflower Stew--super healthy from the cauliflower (which subs for potatoes) and super easy from using canned coconut milk! This is a weeknight winner!

Kerala-Style Chicken and Cauliflower Stew

Closely adapted from Hari Nayak.
Course Entree
Cuisine Indian
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 1 T ghee
  • 1 t dark mustard seeds
  • 1 t black peppercorns
  • 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
  • 4 lightly crushed cardamom pods
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 20 fresh or frozen curry leaves
  • 2 med-large onions, chopped
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 inch piece ginger, minced
  • 1/4 t ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces and sprinkled with salt and pepper, I used thighs
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 2 t garam masala, divided
  • 3 cups coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water, optional
  • 10 oz frozen peas
  • basmati rice for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil and ghee in a large Dutch oven with the mustard seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Cover the pan--leaving the lid slight ajar--and listen for when the mustard seeds stop popping. Then add the bay leaf and curry leaves--stand back because they will pop!
  2. Let the leaves fry for about 30 seconds, and then add the onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and ginger and mix in. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. You can add a few tablespoons of water if the onions start to stick or scorch.
  4. When the onions are caramelized, add the ground turmeric and stir it in. Then add the chicken and stir it in. Do your best to brown it a bit, let it cook on about medium for around 5 minutes without turning. Then stir and add the cauliflower with a pinch of salt and stir it in. Stir in 1 teaspoon of garam masala.
  5. Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a boil--if the dish is too dry, add 1/2 cup of water also. Cover the pot and let the dish simmer gently, about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the cauliflower is crisp-tender, and the flavors have melded.
  6. Stir in the peas.
  7. Stir in an additional teaspoon of garam masala and taste for salt.
  8. Serve with basmati rice--but this is a stew, not a sauce, so the rice can be on the side or down in the stew.