Mutton Stew Recipe, also known as mutton Ishtu, lamb stew is a popular Keralan delicacy specially made during Christmas or Easter time.. Succulent mutton pieces cooked with potatoes, carrots, ginger, garlic, onions and coconut milk makes this delicate stew. Mild Mutton Stew is often served with appam, idiyappam, dosa or idlies in and around Kerala.
Kerala Mutton Stew Recipe
Stew is one of my family favorite dish. Specially it is so popular with the kids. Everytime I make appam or idiyappam, the first curry that I choose is stew. It is either chicken stew, veg stew or mutton stew.
Mutton Stew, Stewed Lamb or Mutton Coconut Milk Curry is a popular breakfast recipe. It is nothing but tender lamb pieces cooked in a mild broth made using onions, green chillies and coconut milk. Delicious lamb stew which goes well with aapam, dosa, chapati or idiyappam.
About Kerala Mutton Stew
Mutton stew is also known as lamb stew is a popular Kerala dish made with lamb, onions, ginger, garlic, chillies, coconut milk. Stew is also known as Ishtu, it is mild and creamy in texture. Specially made during Christmas or Easter time. Check my chicken stew and veg stew.
Mutton stew is made by pressure cooking mutton first. Temper spices in coconut oil and saute onions, ginger, garlic, chillies, curry leaves. You can choose to add vegetables or not. Finally combine mutton with cashew paste, thick coconut milk. Thats it mutton stew is ready to serve.
Over the years of making variety of stew, I found out using potatoes in the stew gives natural thickness to the curry. And never skip nut paste, it also helps with the rich and creamy texture.
One of my childhood favorite combination is steamed bread and piping hot and thick stew. It is a match made in food heaven. But you can enjoy it with appam, idiyappam or even puttu.
Similar Recipes
For Making Mutton Stew, Lamb is cooked separately till tender and cooked. I usually cook them in pressure cooker, Add mutton in pressure cooker, along with salt and cook for 4 to 5 whistle till lamb is cooked.
Cooking it in a regular pot may take more time, so it is easy to use a pressure cooker or an instant pot to cook mutton.
The main flavouring for the stew comes from the coconut oil. So use coconut oil to saute the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies with whole spices. it adds so much flavour.
Some people don't use vegetables when making stew, but I like to add carrots and potatoes which adds colour and some thickness to the curry.
Don't skip the cashew paste, it adds super creamy texture to the stew. Instead of using cashew alone, you can add a mix of melon seeds and cashew to the curry to add some thickness to the curry.
Make sure to add thick coconut milk in the end of the cooking for creamy and milky texture. Don't boil the stew, else the coconut milk may separate.
Ingredients
- Mutton - use bone-in mutton pieces for maximum flavour. Pressure cook mutton before hand before mixing into the stew.
- Coconut Oil - make sure you cook in coconut oil for authentic flavour.
- Whole Spices - I used cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon and cardamom.
- Onions - sliced onions is added in the stew. But for more authentic taste, you can use sliced shallots.
- Ginger & Garlic - use chopped ginger and garlic and mix into the onions.
- Curry leaves - be generous with the curry leaves as it adds so much flavour and aroma.
- Green Chillies - slit green chillies is used for spicy note. You can add more or less depending on your taste.
- Cashews - you can add a mix of melon seeds and cashew to the curry to add some thickness to the curry.
- Coconut Milk - you need both thin and thick extract of coconut milk. use second extract for cooking mutton and first extract in the end.
- Spice Powder - i use fennel seed, garam masala and black pepper powder in the end for flavour.
- Coriander leaves adds a fresh taste along with lemon juice.
Step by Step Pictures
Pressure Cooking Mutton
1)Take cleaned mutton pieces in a pressure cooker. Add in ginger garlic paste, salt, curry leaves and second extract coconut milk.
2)Cover the cooker and pressure cook for 7 to 8 whistle until the mutton is completely cooked.
3)Let the pressure release by itself, open the cooker and check whether the mutton is fully cooked and set aside.
Make Cashew Paste
4)Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes.
5) Take the soaked cashews in a blender and grind to a smooth puree. Set aside.
Make Stew Base
6)Heat coconut oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add in the whole spices and let them sizzle in the oil for 1 minute.
7)Add in sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves.
8)Add salt and cook for couple of minutes until translucent.
9)It shouldn't brown, just translucent is enough.
Cooking Vegetables
10)Now add in potatoes, carrot into the onion mix and toss well.
11)Saute the vegetables for couple of minutes.
12)Now pour in 1 cup of water and mix well.
13)Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes until vegetables is half cooked.
Make Stew
14)Now add in the cooked mutton along with any of the coconut milk liquid in the cooker. Mix well. Cook this for 5 minute more till vegetables is completely cooked.
15)Now add in the ground cashew paste and mix well.
16)Cook this for 5 minutes until the curry thickens and raw smell from cashew leaves.
17)Now add in pepper, garam masala and fennel seed powder and mix well. Let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
18)Now turn off the heat and pour in the first extract coconut milk and mix well.
19)Add in lemon juice and coriander leaves and give a good mix.
20)Serve with appam or idiyappam.
Expert Tips
Cooking mutton - since mutton takes time, you have to cook it prior before adding into the curry. Cook mutton till tender and use that in curry. Instead of cooking mutton in pressure cooker, You can cook in regular pot until tender. it will take few hours.
Vegetables - I used potatoes, carrots. You can also use green peas in the stew.
Thick coconut milk - Add thick coconut milk in the end and don't cook longer, else the coconut milk may split.
Add ons - you can use sliced shallots and fry them in ghee along with some cashews and use that for topping the stew.
Storage - You can store this curry in fridge for upto 4 to 5 days. Reheat in microwave till hot and serve.
Serving - Mutton stew can be served with
- Sponge Dosa
- Appam | Rice Pancake
- Parotta | Flaky Malabar Parotta
- Idiyappam | String Hoppers
- Kal Dosa
- Idlies | Steamed Rice Cake
FAQ
Can I use canned coconut milk?
yes you can use canned coconut milk, make sure you mix some coconut milk with water to make second extract and keep some as thick coconut milk.
Can I skip vegetables?
Yes you can skip vegetables and make this just with mutton.
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Kerala Mutton Stew Recipe (Mutton Ishtu, Lamb Stew)
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cooking Mutton
- 500 grams Mutton (Bone-in)
- 2 cups Coconut Milk (Second Extract)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 sprig Curry Leaves
- 2 teaspoon Salt
For Tempering
- 3 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 piece Cinnamon
- 4 no Cardamom
For Stew Base
- 2 large Onion peeled & large sliced
- 4 no Green Chillies slit
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon Ginger peeled and julienned
- 2 tablespoon Garlic peeled and julienned
- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 2 large Carrot chopped
- 1 large Potato peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Water
- 2 cups Coconut Milk (First Extract, Thick)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed powder
To Grind Cashews
- 50 grams Cashews
- ½ cup Hot Water
For Garnishing
- ¼ cup Coriander Leaves chopped finely
- ½ medium Lemon juiced
Instructions
- Pressure Cooking Mutton - Take cleaned mutton pieces in a pressure cooker. Add in ginger garlic paste, salt, curry leaves and second extract coconut milk. Cover the cooker and pressure cook for 7 to 8 whistle until the mutton is completely cooked. Let the pressure release by itself, open the cooker and set aside.
- Make Cashew Paste - Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes. Take the soaked cashews in a blender and grind to a smooth puree. Set aside.
- Make Stew Base - Heat coconut oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add in the whole spices and let them sizzle in the oil for 1 minute. Add in sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Add salt and cook for couple of minutes until translucent.
- Cooking Vegetables - Now add in potatoes, carrot into the onion mix and toss well. Now pour in 1 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes until vegetables is half cooked.
- Mix Mutton - Now add in the cooked mutton along with any of the coconut milk liquid in the cooker. Mix well. Cook this for 5 minute more till vegetables is completely cooked.
- Make Stew - Now add in the ground cashew paste and mix well. Cook this for 5 minutes until the curry thickens and raw smell from cashew leaves. Now add in pepper, garam masala and fennel seed powder and mix well. Let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Final touches - Now turn off the heat and pour in the first extract coconut milk and mix well. Add in lemon juice and coriander leaves and give a good mix. Serve with appam or idiyappam.
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