'Olan' is almost like a stew. Olan is prepared in two ways. One is traditional way, which I have mentioned below. The other method is by adding moong dhal and vegetables cooked in coconut milk.

Traditional Olan

INGREDIENTS:

Red cow peas/ Rose moong/ Vanpayaru – ½ cup
Ash gourd/ White pumpkin/ Kumbalam- 2 cup
Green chilli, slit-3
Ginger- 1/2 inch
Salt –to taste
Coconut, grated- 1 cup
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil- 1teaspoon

Ash gourd and cow peas in coconut milk

PROCEDURE
  • Soak rose moong overnight. If you are planning to cook it directly without soaking, then pressure cook the cow peas with salt till done, but not too mushy around 3 whistles.
  • Cook ash gourd with green chillies, ginger and salt till soft to touch.
  • When the steam releases, drain the cooked water from cow peas and add with cooked ash gourd.
  • Grind the coconut inside the blender and extract milk from that. Pour the coconut milk and allow to cook for a second. 
  • Don’t allow to boil, if the curry boils the coconut milk tends to split. Add curry leaves, coconut oil over the curry and turn off the gas.
Onam Sadya Vibavangal