Vegetable stew recipe with step by step photos. This veg stew is easy to make lightly spiced, delicate, and aromatic stew made with mixed vegetables, coconut milk, and spices. A popular stew from Kerala cuisine. Gluten-free and vegan.

On some days when I don’t make dosa, I end up making our favorite breakfast appam and Kerala style vegetable stew.

Usually, I always have carrots, beans, potatoes, and peas at home. So these veggies end up being in the veg stew. When I have to make the stew, I prepare coconut milk a day before and keep in the fridge. Sometimes to make things easy, I use dabur’s coconut milk which is easily available in India. Dabur’s coconut milk works well as a substitute for thick coconut milk. You can also use any other good brand of ready coconut milk as a substitute for thick coconut milk.

Kerala vegetable stew is so easy to prepare. you just need to temper and cook the veggies. If you cannot have it with appams, then just serve the stew with steamed rice. I have used thin coconut milk to cook the vegetables. If you don’t have thin coconut milk, then cook the vegetables in water instead. You can also check this Potato stew recipe.

The veg stew is flavored with warm aromatic spices tempered in coconut oil. What you get are tender cooked vegetables in a delicate, spiced, light, aromatic stew with the flavor and taste of coconut milk.

How to make vegetable stew

1. heat coconut oil. Add the whole & crushed spices – cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. Fry them till fragrant. Then add the ginger, garlic, green chilies, sliced onions, and curry leaves. Saute till the onions become translucent. Don’t brown the onions.

2. add the chopped veggies and stir well.

3. add thin coconut milk or water. Cover the pan and cook the veggies.

4. the veggies should be cooked till they are tender and done.

5. add the thick coconut milk. Stir well and simmer for just half a minute.

6. Serve Kerala vegetable stew with appams or steamed rice.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN!

Definitely feel free to mix up the vegetables here. I opted for traditional winter root vegetables, but the original recipe included brussels sprouts, which would be great too.  You could even try stirring in some torn kale or spinach toward the end for an extra health boost. 

You could also stir in some beans or chickpeas if you’re so inclined.

CAN I LEAVE OUT THE WINE?

Sure! You can replace the wine with more vegetable stock, or even water if you like. Personally I think the wine adds great flavor, and I don’t worry too much about it even when serving kids because the stew cooks for long enough for MOST (but not all) of the wine to cook off. 

The original recipe actually calls for 2 1/2 cups of wine, and I’ve made it that way many times and loved it. However, since I do serve it to my kids, I’ve reduced it here to 1 1/2 cups.

HOW LONG DOES IT KEEP AND CAN I FREEZE VEGAN STEW?

Leftover stew is even more flavorful and delicious than the day you make it, so it’s the ultimate make ahead dish. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

As for freezing, it does freeze quite well, but the potatoes in particular can get a bit mushy once thawed. If you’d like to freeze it, I would recommend cooking the potatoes separately when you thaw it and adding them while reheating it.

Or you can skip the potatoes entirely and add more of something else!

It will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for about 6 months.

More curry recipes

• Olan recipe
• Ulli theeyal
• Kalan recipe
• Kootu curry
• Varutharacha sambar