This is a coconut milk based meat stew and can be made using any meat - chicken, lamb or veal. In the Malabar region of Kerala, it is usually made with what we call mutton there, but is actually goat meat and the word stew became ishtu in Malabar Moplah parlance. To give this some context, the Muslims of Malabar are known as Moplahs and speak Malayalam. Wikipedia on Moplahs
Mutton stew is usually served with ney chor (ghee rice), a nice yogurt raitha, coconut chutney, pappadams and pickles. This meal is customarily the dinner served to entertain close family and guests from far away places on the night before a dearly beloved daughter's wedding.
Ingredients
Lamb - 800 grams, cut into 1" cubes for curry
Green chillies - 5, cut down the centre but not all the way so that chilli remains in one piece.
Peppercorns - 1 tsp, coarsely ground with a mortar & pestle
Ginger - 1.5" piece of ginger root, with skin removed
Onions - 200 grams, thinly sliced
Potatoes - 400 grams
Curry leaves - whole leaves, as many or as few as you wish. It is a matter of personal taste.
Water - 2 cups
Coriander powder - 1 level tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Coconut milk powder - 1 cup
This is a quick and easy one pot dish. Put all the ingredients, except the coconut milk powder into the cooking utensil. The potatoes should be peeled and put in whole. Do not cut the potatoes. Mix all the ingredients well.
Turn heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook till meat is done. Stir every now and then and turn the potatoes over so that the flavours infuse well into the potatoes.
When the meat is cooked, mix one cup of coconut milk powder to a liquid using the gravy from this curry. Pour into the curry and bring to a boil. To bring it to a desired thick consistency, leave it on the stove at a rolling boil till the gravy starts to thicken.
Remove the whole potatoes and cut into small chunks and return to the curry. Serve as described above with ney chor, raitha, pappadums and chutney.
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