Tender Goat Meat along with Veggies, simmered in a Mild n Creamy Coconut Milk based gravy, this Kerala Style Mutton Stew (Ishtu) makes a Lip-Smacking Side Dish with Appam that will blow you away…!
Mutton stew is quite famous among the Christian families of Kerala, and is served for festivals like Christmas, Easter, and special occasions like weddings. Creamy and light on masala, this dish stands out for its unique & versatile flavors which you would not be expecting in Indian style mutton curry dishes.
The uniqueness of the recipe unlike other Indian dishes is, it does not use garam masala or chilly powder. Green chilies and freshly crushed peppercorns play a crucial role, giving the adequate spice (heat) and uplifting the flavors of the dish.
The recipe is quite similar to that of Kerala style Chicken Stew, with the only difference being its cooking time as mutton takes longer to cook. Tender goat meat with loads of whole hearted veggies, in a lightly spiced and absolutely creamy coconut milk gravy, a curry which is every Malayalee’s pride!
Straight from my Amma’s cookbook, this recipe is a family favorite and we love to savor it with Appam (rice hoppers). It also makes a great side dish with Idiyappam, Bread, Naan or Malabar Paratha.
Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!
Don’t forget to check out my Fish Molly recipe, it is a variation of mutton stew with fish as the hero of the dish.
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Tender Goat Meat along with Veggies, simmered in a Mild n Creamy Coconut Milk based gravy, this Kerala Style Mutton Stew (Ishtu) makes a Lip-Smacking Side Dish with Appam that will blow you away…!
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom pods
- 3-4 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- ½ kg {1.2 lb} mutton (pref. soup cut)
- 1 medium sized onion (sliced)
- ½ inch sized ginger (crushed)
- 3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 3-4 green chilies (slit)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp pepper powder
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 1 cup water
- 1 carrot (cubed)
- 10-12 beans (sliced)
- 1 potato (cubed)
- ⅓ cup frozen green peas
- 1 cup thin coconut milk
- ½ tsp fennel powder
- ½ cup thick coconut milk
- 1 tsp crushed peppercorns
- Oil (as required)
- Salt (as required)
- 1 tbsp ghee/butter
- 3-4 pearl onions (sliced)
- 1 sprigs of curry leaves
- 5-6 cashews
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Prepare mutton: Clean and cut mutton into medium size pieces. For this dish I would prefer using mutton bone-in with fat on it. Equal portions of shoulder cut and soup cut would be ideal.
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Cook mutton: In a pressure cooker, heat some oil and add the spices; cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorn, bay leaf, and star anise. Sauté until fragrant. Add 1 sprig of curry leaves, crushed ginger, garlic and slit green chilies. Once the raw smell of ginger and garlic subsides, add sliced onions along with a pinch of salt, sauté until translucent.
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Follow by adding turmeric powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, sauté and mix well.
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Add mutton pieces along with water and salt, close the lid and cook for 4 whistles. Turn off the flame and allow the cooker to sit until all the pressure is released. Open the lid and you may continue the rest of the cooking either in the pressure cooker itself or after transferring it to a separate pan as per your convenience.
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Cook the veggies: Add potato, carrot and beans, along with thin coconut milk to the cooked mutton. Close the lid and allow it to cook on a low flame. Once the stew starts boiling, add the frozen green peas and fennel powder.
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As the dish starts boiling again, check for the veggies to be cooked perfectly and once done, reduce the flame to a low and add the thick coconut milk. Do not allow the stew to boil after this stage.
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Top the stew with freshly crushed peppercorns and check for salt. Swirl the pan once and cook for another 2 minutes on a low flame. Turn off the flame.
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Prepare the tempering: Heat ghee/butter in a separate pan, sauté pearl onions until they are lightly brown, then add cashews and curry leaves and sauté. Add this tempering to the prepared mutton stew, mix well. Close the lid and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
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Serve hot with Appam, idiyappam, bread, naan or any roti.
1. Use of coconut oil is ideal for all Kerala recipes.
2. Adjust the quantity of green chilies and pepper you use for this recipe according to your choice of spice level.