Chicken Stew Kerala The word 'stew' has become part of the Indian culinary vocabulary. In Southern India, stew is made with coconut milk and Malabar coast spices. In Kerala in particular it is commonly eaten with appams or rice flour pancakes for breakfast or Sunday brunch. In Northern India, even roadside eateries serve a mild curry which they call stew. The dish can be made milder still by reducing the green chilli. But it is really aromatic. A lady from Kerala says that she thinks the combination of ghee and oil imparts a special flavour. The Keralites use very tiny pieces of chicken on the bone. But you can use small boneless pieces too. On the bone, this quantity will serve 4, but boneless should suffice for 5. Serves 4-5 Ingredients:   2 medium onions 1 x 3/4-inch piece of fresh ginger (half cut into thin julienne, the other half into pieces) 1 tsp peppercorns a little turmeric powder 2 onions, chopped coarsely 2-3 green chillies 2 cups grated fresh coconut or 1 1/2 cups tinned coconut milk 10-12 new potatoes salt, to taste, 2 tbsps oil 1 tbsp ghee 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1 cinnamon or bay leaf 2 garlc cloves, sliced lengthwise 2-inch cinnamon stick 4 cardamoms 3 cloves 20 curry leaves 800 gm boneless, skinless chicken pieces 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch strips 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas 1/4 tsp garam masala powder Method: Pound the ginger pieces (retain the julienne strips for later), peppercorns and a little turmeric into a thick uneven paste. Blend together the onions and green chillies. Put the grated coconut into 2 cups water and blend to make an extract. Strain and keep to one side. Scrub the potatoes and half-boil them in their skin with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Heat the oil and ghee, and when hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the cinnamon or bayleaf. When the leaf turns a khaki colour add the sliced garlic, the cinnamon stick and cardamoms. After 20 seconds add the ginger paste, cloves and curry leaves, then add the chicken and saute in the spiced oil for 2-3 minutes. Salt to taste, then add the potatoes and carrot and cook, covered, for 2 minutes. Finally add the cocount milk; half a cup of water, the peas and juliennes of ginger. Sprinkle with garam masala powder and cook covered till the chicken is done.