How to Make Kerala Vegetable Stew
Prepare the fresh spice blend by placing the peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf into a spice grinder. Grind until you have a fine powder.
Heat the oil in a large wok or deep pan over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Immediately add the dried red chili and curry leaves—be careful, they will splutter.
Stir, then add the chopped shallots, green chilies, and garlic.
Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the grated ginger, stir, then add the diced potatoes, 1 cup / 240 ml of water, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.
Add the cauliflower, green beans, carrots, peas, the freshly ground spice powder, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt to the pan.
Pour in just enough water to barely cover the vegetables.
Stir well, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
Pour in the well-shaken coconut milk and gently stir to combine.
Bring the stew to a gentle simmer—do not let it boil, as this can cause the coconut milk to split.
Stir in the vinegar, then immediately turn off the heat.
Taste and adjust the salt if necessary before serving.
