Vegetable Stew

Before I start, let me apologise for the poor quality pictures of this dish. It tastes way better than it looks, I promise! :-). I was in a hurry this morning, hence the poor quality pic. I decided in the last minute that it was Appam for breakfast. I usually have the Mangalorean Tomato Curry to go with Appams, but today, I wanted to do something different, so it was Vegetable Stew. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2 medium sized
• French Beans - 12-15
• Peas - 100 gms
• Carrots - 1
• Almonds - 2 tbsp
• Cashew Nut - 2 tbsp
• Khus Khus - poppy seeds - 1 tsp
• Warm Milk - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 1
• Green Chilly - 3-4
• Ginger - 2 tbsp
• Bay Leaf - 2
• Cinamon - 1 inch stick
• Mace - 1
• Curry Leaves - a handful
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Milk (Thick, 1st pressed) - 200 ml
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp (do not substitute)

Method:

• Soak almonds, cashews and khus khus in warm milk. Remove the skin from the almonds and grind them to a fine paste.

• Cut all vegetables into medium sized pieces
• Heat oil in the cooker.
• Add Bay leaf, cinamon and mace and fry.
• Add chopped onions, ginger and green chilly and fry well.
• Add the vegetables, salt and water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
• When done, remove the lid, add the ground almond-cashew-poppy seed paste and coconut milk and bring to boil.
• Add salt, if required and pepper.
• Add the curry leaves and pour 2 tsp coconut oil and remove from flame.
• Keep covered for 15 minutes so that aroma settles.

Serve with Appam/Idiappam or Puttu.