Chicken Stew/ Ishtu

Chicken stew or Ishtu as its commonly called serves the best combination for Appam and Idiappam. The spicy aroma  and gravy with chicken flavour adds extra taste.

Serves-4

Ingredients:

1. Chicken- 1/2 kg, cut into small pieces
2. Potato-3 large,cut into cubes
3. Onion-2 large, thinly sliced
4. Green chillies- 3 slit into half
5. Ginger-1 inch piece,cut fine
6. Garlic- 4 pods,halved
7. Cinnamon-3 stick
8. Cardamom- 3
9. Cloves-3
10. Fennel seeds- 1 pinch
11. Pepper whole- 4-5 
12. Pepper powder-4 teaspoon
13. mustard-1 teaspoon
14. Salt-2 teaspoon
15. Curry leaves- a few
16. Coconut Milk- 1 Cup( Use coconut milk powder)
17. Water
18. Ghee- 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Pressure cook the chicken,potatoes with 1 teaspoon each of salt , pepper powder with 1/2 cup water for 1 whistle.
2. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan
3. Add Cloves, cardamom,cinnamon,fennel seeds,mustard, heat till they splutter.
4. Add the sliced onions and saute them till light colour.
5. Add the cut ginger garlic and chillies and saute for a while
6. Add turmeric powder, salt,1 teaspoon pepper powder.
7. To the above add the cooked chicken and potato,add 1/2 cup water,stir well.
8. Cover and cook for 10 mins.
9. Add coconut milk and cook in low flame for 1 min.
10. Alternatively can use coconut milk powder dissolved in hot water.
11. Add the remaining pepepr powder, mix well
12. Garnish with curry leaves.

Ishtu is ready. Please check with the salt requirements, some may find it tasty with more salt and pepper. Serve them hot with appam or idiappam, also it makes a combination with porottas and rotis. Can use with rice too! Its simple. Instead of coconut milk, cow milk can also be substituted, but it's more tasty with coconut milk.Try it out, you are gonna love it!