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Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Kerala vegetable stew with appams

Kerala vegetable stew, or ishtu, is a vegetarian Indian dish simmered in coconut milk, served with appams, lacy rice flour pancakes. It takes 65 minutes for 4 people, medium difficulty because of the yeasted batter, and costs €1.90 per person. Success comes down to never letting the coconut milk boil and getting the appam batter nice and bubbly.

Tonight, ishtu, a gentle vegetable stew in coconut milk and black pepper, with appams, little lacy pancakes.

Kerala vegetable stew with appams
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.90
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Ishtu is a very gentle vegetable stew, fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, and curry leaves, bound together by a silky coconut milk that coats the tender potatoes and carrots. Black pepper gives this sweetness a quiet lift without ever turning sharp, and the peas add a touch of sweetness that kids and adults both enjoy.

This is the perfect dish for a weeknight that calls for a little more time, since the batter needs to rise. The appams, those lacy pancakes with a soft center and crisp edges, turn this stew into something you really sit down to share, scooping and dipping with your fingers.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 2
  • Carrots 2
  • Green beans 150 g
  • Onion 1
  • Fresh ginger 1 tbsp

Frozen foods

  • Frozen peas 100 g

Pantry

  • Coconut milk 40 cl
  • Black pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 stick
  • Cardamom podsoften in the pantry 3
  • Curry leaves 8
  • Rice flour 200 g
  • Active dry yeastoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the rice flour with the yeast, sugar, a little salt, 15 cl of coconut milk, and warm water to get a thin, pourable batter, then let it rise. 30 min

    Set the bowl in a warm spot, the batter should double in size.

  2. Sauté the sliced onion and ginger with the cinnamon, cardamom, and curry leaves in a little oil. 8 min

    Don't let them brown, you're just drawing out the fragrance.

  3. Add the vegetables in chunks, cover with water, and cook until tender. 15 min

    Cut them into even sized pieces.

  4. Pour in the coconut milk, pepper, and peas, and let it simmer gently without boiling. 8 min

    The coconut milk must not boil, it will split and turn grainy.

  5. Pour a ladleful of batter into a small, round bottomed pan, swirl it to spread, cover, and cook for 2 minutes until the edges turn golden. 10 min

    The center stays thick and soft, the edges crisp, that's the charm of the appam.

Our tips to get it right

  • Look for fresh curry leaves if you can find them, they're far more fragrant than dried ones, and you can freeze extra for next time.
  • Use a small, round bottomed pan, or a nonstick skillet with low sides, to get that classic bowl shaped appam.
  • Taste the stew right before serving and adjust the salt, coconut milk mellows seasoning quite a bit.

The variations

  • Swap the frozen peas for fresh shelled peas when they're in season, their texture is firmer and nicer.
  • For a quicker version, serve the stew with plain basmati rice instead of appams, saving you about 30 minutes.
  • For kids who don't love whole spices, pull out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving rather than blending them in.

What to serve it with

  • Plain basmati rice
  • Coconut chutney
  • Spiced milk tea

Storage

The stew keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container and reheats gently on the stove without boiling. Appams keep for 1 day, best refreshed in a dry pan for a few seconds. The stew freezes well for up to 1 month, but the appams don't, they lose their texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the appam batter ahead of time?

Yes, you can make it the night before and let it rise in the fridge overnight. Take it out an hour before cooking so it comes back to room temperature.

What if I don't have a round bottomed pan for appams?

A regular nonstick skillet works fine too, the edges will just be a bit less pronounced. The taste stays the same, only the shape changes slightly.

Can you substitute the rice flour in the appams?

Rice flour is what gives appams their light, lacy texture, and it's hard to replace without changing the result. Look for it in the Asian grocery aisle if your regular supermarket doesn't carry it.

Is this stew very spicy?

No, it's a gentle dish where the spices add fragrance rather than heat, the black pepper just gives a light lift. You can cut back on the pepper if you're cooking for very young kids.

How long does it take to make a Kerala vegetable stew with appams?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Kerala vegetable stew with appams?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Kerala vegetable stew with appams cost?

About €1.90 per serving, or €7.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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