Kerala Coconut Stew (Ishtoo)

Ishtu: South Indian white coconut milk stew with vegetables and whole spices

Origin: Kerala, India

From the journey of Coconut.

Along the Malabar Coast of Kerala, the coconut palm is called kalpavriksha, the tree that fulfils all desires. The coastline is dense with them; every household has one. Ishtu (a Keralite transliteration of 'stew', borrowed during the British colonial period) occupies a curious place in South Indian cooking: it is a delicate, white, mildly spiced coconut milk stew eaten with appam, the lacy, fermented rice hoppers that are the iconic breakfast of Kerala. Unlike the deep, tomatoey curries of other Indian regions, ishtu is pale and gentle, its heat coming only from whole black pepper and green chillies rather than dried spice powders. The coconut milk used here is pressed three times: the first pressing produces a rich, thick cream; later pressings yield progressively thinner milks. The thin milk is added during cooking to build the sauce; the thick first milk is added at the very end, never boiled, to keep its silky sweetness. The dish reflects Kerala's Syrian Christian community, who adapted the Portuguese stew (ensopado) with local ingredients, creating something that belongs entirely to the Malabar Coast.

Ingredients

Coconut

  • 400 ml thick coconut milk (first pressing or canned full-fat)
  • 200 ml thin coconut milk (second pressing or diluted canned)

Vegetables

  • 2 piece medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 150 g green beans, cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 1 piece medium carrot, diced

Base

  • 1 piece medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 piece green chillies, slit lengthwise
  • 3 piece garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 piece thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, julienned

Spices

  • 1 piece small cinnamon stick
  • 4 piece green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 4 piece whole cloves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Tempering

  • 15 piece fresh curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

  1. Heat coconut oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and black peppercorns. Fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add green chillies and curry leaves.
  3. Add the potato cubes and stir to coat in the spiced oil. Pour in the thin coconut milk and add enough water (about 100 ml) to just cover the vegetables. Season with salt.
  4. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the carrot and green beans and continue simmering, uncovered, for another 8–10 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
  5. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Pour in the thick coconut milk, stir gently, and heat just until steaming: about 2 minutes. Do not allow it to boil. Taste and adjust salt.
  6. Serve immediately in deep bowls with appam (lacy rice hoppers), string hoppers, or steamed rice. Finish with a few fresh curry leaves if desired.

Notes

For a non-vegetarian version, add 400 g of chicken pieces (bone-in) with the potatoes and extend cooking time by 10 minutes. The chicken version is the most traditional ishtu. A thin chicken ishtu poured over a soft-centred appam at a Kerala breakfast table is one of the great pleasures of South Asian cooking.

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