Chicken Stew with Kale (Kerala Style)

Now have you heard of a multipurpose chicken (curry) stew? :) Well, this particular stew can be enjoyed with roti, bread, appam, rice, or as soup, with dosa or simply pour it over some noodles and have it as curry noodle soup! Amazing isn't it?

It tastes fantastic and you are in complete control of spices to make it just the way you like. Usage of coconut milk and mild spices makes it an enjoyable and kid-friendly dish.

Now I have a twist in the making of this stew, I add a leafy vegetable in this dish which is "Kale" (one can use spinach too). Not sure why I thought of it, maybe the first time I planned to make it, I was in a mood to have a soup like dish. But it was an instant hit and since then I add Kale in it every single time. My kid loves it and I am hoping lots of other kids will love it too. It is traditionally a dish from kerala, where it is enjoyed for breakfast with dosa or appam. Other veggies can be added like potatoes, carrots etc. You can customize it as you want and yet the taste won't change.

Let us check out the recipe of this magical stew:

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken thighs with bones, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) 
• whole garam masala (1 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 5-6 peppercorn, 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom crushed)- (optional, I skip it many times just to make it kid-friendly, because it comes in the mouth while eating)
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tomato chopped in bite size pieces
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2-3 sprigs of curry leaves
• 3-4 green chillies sliced (use depending on how spicy you like)
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 and 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 2-3 cups kale roughly torn
• salt as per taste
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 2 cups thick coconut milk (use powder or tin coconut milk)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Preparation:

• In a wide mouth pan heat oil, add fennel seeds, once it splutters, add whole garam masala, saute for a minute, then add sliced onions and saute till light golden brown. 
• Add ginger garlic paste and sauce a for few minutes. 
• Now add tomatoes, green chillies, curry leaves and saute for a few minutes, then add all the powders, salt, chicken pieces and mix together every thing. 
• Add coconut milk, stir all the ingredients and let it cook for 10 minutes with a closed lid. Adjust the spices now if you like.
• Get your kale ready by then, now add kale and cook till chicken is done for another 10 minutes uncovered. 
• Add lemon juice and your slurping hot Stew is ready!

enjoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein and good energy booster, good for brain health,  heart health, thyroid health and weight loss program. If you are looking to have good muscles, go for it! :) other main ingredient is Kale, a superstar in the arena of carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. It is loaded with vitamin A, C and K. It has an anti-inflammatory properties, good for people suffering from arthritis, asthma. Also used in detoxification process of a body. So we must try to get this in our diet! More more solid information on Kale you can visit Well-Being Secrets site http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/health-benefits-of-kale/