This mutton stew, cooked in coconut milk, is a traditional breakfast delicacy from the Kerala cuisine. Paired with appams, this Kerala mutton stew makes a fantastic combination that could turn any regular breakfast into a festive meal! That’s probably how mutton stew came to be associated with a good homecooked Christmas breakfast in Kerala.
One of the perks of growing up in Kerala is the diversity of festive food that you’ll get to enjoy irrespective of the faith in which you were brought up. You’ll get to savour traditional feasts (sadya) during Onam, relish biriyani on the day of Eid, and indulge in a variety of cakes during the Christmas season.
Even now, I never miss an opportunity to travel to Kerala during the festive season, because you know there is always some great food on offer. Christmas breakfast is one such opportunity that I never want to miss! There’ll be a variety of delicacies on offer, but for me, it has always been an occasion to gorge on delicious appams (hoppers) and mutton stew.
Nothing can come close to those heavenly appams with their crispy edges and the fluffy, sweet centre. The mildly spiced stew made by simmering morsels of mutton and potato in coconut milk completes the picture. It’s this finger licking goodness that sets the tone for the rest of the Christmas day!
Cook a delicious mutton stew this Christmas, and enjoy it with your loved ones. Here is a simple, pressure-cooker version of this hearty delicacy.
We’ll start by frying whole spices in oil, followed by ginger and curry leaves. Then we’ll add onions and cashew paste, and cook until the onions are tender. Mutton, potatoes, carrots, green chillies, and green peas are added to this mix, and pressure cooked in thin coconut milk. Finally, some thick coconut milk is added and simmered for a few minutes to complete the dish. Detailed recipe with step-by-step pictures below.
Love mutton? Don’t forget to check out the Moroccan lamb tagine, Seekh Kebab, Kerala mutton curry and erachi choru (meat rice) recipes.
Mutton Stew
Ingredients
Whole spices
- 1 star anise
- 2 cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 black pepper corns
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cloves
Other Ingredients
- 500 grams mutton or lamb
- 2 medium potato diced
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 1 small carrots diced
- 1/4 cup green peas a handful
- 2 green chillies or according to your preference
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 2-3 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon cashew paste optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- coconut oil
- 2 1/2 cup thin coconut milk 2nd and 3rd extracts
- 1/2 cup thick coconut milk 1st extract
- salt
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes and carrot.
- Keep all the whole spices ready.
- Heat some oil in a pressure cooker. Fry the whole spices, followed by ginger and curry leaves.
- Add onions and cashew paste, mix well, and cook on a low flame until tender.
- Add mutton, potatoes, carrot, green peas, green chillies, pepper, salt, and thin coconut milk.
- Pressure cook until the mutton is cooked well.
- Open the cooker, add the thick coconut milk, add salt (if required), and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Do NOT bring to boil. Serve hot with appam.
