Olan - one of the items in my daughter’s small list of favorites. Olan is a very simple side dish made of Ash gourd, Pumpkin, a handful of black eyed beans, one or two chilies, simmered in coconut milk with a dash of coconut oil. Though this curry does not make use of any spices the right proportion of all the ingredients makes it very delicious.Traditionally a Malayalee dish, but over the centuries it has found its way into the Palakkad Iyer’s Kitchen. Olan is one of the regular items in our homes now. No sadhya is complete without Olan. Now let's get to the recipe.
Ingredients Serves (2- 3)
1. Ash gourd – 300 gms
2. Pumkin – 300 gms
3. Black eyed beans/lobia/chowli/Karamani – 2 tblsps
4. Green Chilly – 1
5. Coconut Milk – 4 tbsps
6. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
7. Jaggery a little
8. Salt to taste
Method
Pressure cook the Black eyed beans and keep aside. (Soaking the beans for a few hours helps in cooking faster). Remove skin and cut ash gourd and pumpkins into 1 ½ inch thin square pieces. Slit the green chilly.
Now in a pressure pan, put the ash gourd pieces at the bottom and then put the pumpkin pieces. Add the green chilly. Add very little water; cover and cook for about 2 whistles. (Ash gourd will release its own water so add very little water otherwise olan will become very watery)
Open the pan after the pressure subsides, add the cooked beans, little jaggery and salt to taste. Allow this to boil till olan becomes a little thick. Remove from heat and add coconut milk and coconut oil. Mix well. (Take care not to mash the vegetables too much while stirring, though usually the pumpkin does get mashed)
Yummy olan is ready to be savored with hot white rice and sambar.
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