VEGETABLE STEW

Bread and stew is one of my favourite breakfasts. 
Bread and stew along with ethapazham puzhingiyathu, is the usual breakfast for festive occasions like Christmas , easter , marriage functions etc., bread , replacing the traditional appam because its readily available in all bakeries unlike appam . I must say , the bakery bread in kerala is the tastiest I have ever eaten. Bread , translated into Malayalam is "ROTTI"!!!.

This is my mother's recipe .Its our family's favourite and my brothers insists that the carrots for the stew be sliced into round shape as my mother does.

RECIPE

1. half of a small onion , very thinly sliced(60 gms)
2. 1 medium sized potato(100 gms.)
3. 3 small carrots sliced into round shape(150 gms.)
4. 2 green chilis, slit
5. 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
6. 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
7. 1/4 tsp pepper powder(optional)
8. 6 curry leaves
9. 1/2 cup water
10. First and second coconut milk extracted from 2 cups coconut(160 gms.) using 1/2 cup water to squeeze the first milk and 3/4 cup water to squeeze the second milk to make appr. 1-3/4 cups coconut milk
11. 2 tsp oil
12. 1 tsp ghee
13. salt to taste 

METHOD

• Heat a pressure cooker on medium flame. I have used a steel pressure handi.
  
• Pour 2 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee.

• Add a few onions and fry them till golden brown.
  
• When the onions are golden brown , remove the onions into a bowl for garnishing.
• Into the pan add the  remaining onions, saute for a few seconds only or it will start to burn because there is not much oil, and I like to keep the oil in that quantity. Then add the rest of the ingredients except coconut milk  and water.
  
• Give it a quick stir. Pour 1/2 cup water .Close the pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
  
• After the pressure is gone, open the cooker, turn on the stove and add second milk. Bring it to a slight boil on medium low flame. As soon as it starts boiling slightly on the sides, turn off the stove, add the first coconut milk . Don't let it boil. (Coconut milk is poured in two parts to avoid curdling.)
• After half an hour, check for salt, garnish with the reserved fried onions. 
  
• Serve with bread,  chappathi, gothambu dosa. The best combination is bread and stew!!!

NOTES

• Add 1/2 of a slice of bread , crushing it using your hands. It gives a nice flavor and sweetness.(My mother does this all the time)
• The carrots too, imparts a nice sweetness to the stew.
• For beef stew (my mother makes this on special occasions), add 1/2 cup of cooked beef . If you have leftover beef  , add 1/2 cup into the pressure cooker along with the rest of the ingredients.