Olan is a quite essential side dish in the Onam Sadya menu made with ash gourd, cow peas and fresh coconut milk as main ingredients. Olan is simple, easy and quick to make but tastes delicious. Learn to make Olan Recipe with the help of step by step pictures and video.
Olan is my all favorite among all other items in Onam Sadya Lunch Menu. Ever since I tried it the first time I am fond of Olan. Olan is very mild with coconut milk and I just love the flavor of it. Do try and enjoy!
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About Olan Recipe
Olan is a classic Kerala dish, is a light curry prepared by simmering ash gourd, cow peas with coconut milk. Onam Sadya could be incomplete without Olan. Olan is a simple home style stew with coconut milk as the main flavor along with ash gourd and cow peas.
Olan is a mildly spiced simple curry to make with ash gourd, cow peas, curry leaves, green chilies and fresh coconut milk. The flavor of the curry is so mild and yummy that it soothes your tummy.
Ash gourd is also called as Kumbalanga in malayalam. It is a common custom when shops use them to drop and break it as an offering to remove drishti (evil eye). I bet Ashgourd must have been sold most for this purpose than for cooking. Though I recommend to get White Pumpkin in slice for this recipe, you will not regret even if you a get a full one – the rest of it can go for making Kasi Halwa.
Olan is creamy and thick so that while serving in banana leaf it’s easy to serve. If Sambar is the king, Olan is the minister – that goes as a saying in Kerala. I got this recipe from my friend and tried it instantly, and we all loved it.
Have you ever craved for a dish which you haven’t tasted in your life time? Yes this is what happened to me – I really don’t know where I fell in for this Olan either the look of it or my friends influence not really sure but just love it.
Olan Video
Olan Ingredients
- Ash gourd – Ash gourd or white pumpkin is used for olan.
- Cow peas – Cow peas also known as thattapayir in tamil is used with the combination of ash gourd for olan.
- Coconut Milk – Coconut milk forms the base of the curry.
- Curry leaves – Curry leaves adds flavor to the curry.
- Green chili – Green chili adds spice and flavor to the curry.
- Coconut oil – Coconut oil is added raw at the final stage for a great flavor.
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How to make Olan Step by Step
1.Take 1/2 cup cow peas, rinse well and soak in water overnight. Drain water the next day and add it to a pan.
2.Add water little more than immersing level.
3.Cook covered until cow peas turns soft.
4.Check by pressing, it should be soft and mash-able only when pressed hard.
5.Now add 1 and 1/2 cups ash gourd along with few curry leaves and 2 green chilies slit into half lengthwise. Add salt to taste.
6.Now add 1 cup thin coconut milk.
7.Give a quick mix.
8.Cook covered until ash gourd turns soft.
9.Ash gourd and cow peas is cooked well. Switch off the stove.
10.Add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
11.Add few curry leaves and 1 teaspoon coconut oil to it.
12.Give a quick mix.
Olan is ready!
Expert Tips
- Make sure you cook both ash gourd and bean slightly mushy so that it absorbs the coconut milk flavor well and blends well.
- Switch off and then add coconut milk else there are chances for it to split.
- You can either pressure cook cow peas or open cook in a pot too. But if you want to open cook then soak the bean overnight. If you forget to soak then pressure cooking is the best and easiest option.
- Give an hour resting time at least for the vegetable and bean to absorb the curry well.
- I used homemade coconut milk, you can use coconut milk powder or ready made coconut milk which comes in cartons too.
- You can even use yellow pumpkin along with ash gourd for this curry.
Serving & Storage
Olan can be served as a side dish in vegetarian meals and thali. Olan goes well with Appam and Idiyappam too. Recommend to consume on the same day of making as coconut is added in the recipe which might spoilt the curry when kept for next day.
FAQS
1.Is Olan and Thoran the same?
No – even when they are similar in rhyming. While Olan is a white pumpkin, legume and coconut based light curry, Thoran is a vegetable stir fry dish!
2.Can I cook Olan without Black eyed peas?
Yes you can use black eyed peas too. However it may not taste like traditional Olan and will miss the authentic flavor.
4.Do you know?
Ash gourd’s low calorie, high fiber, and high water content helps to improve digestion and aids people to lose weight.
If you have any more questions about this Olan Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
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📖 Recipe Card
Olan Recipe | Kerala Olan
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups white ash gourd
- 1/2 cup cowpeas
- 2 green chillies slitted
- 1 cup thin coconut milk
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 1 small sprig curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- salt to taste
- water as needed
Instructions
- Take 1/2 cup cow peas, rinse well and soak in water overnight. Drain water the next day and add it to a pan.
- Add water little more than immersing level.
- Cook covered until cow peas turns soft.
- Check by pressing, it should be soft and mash-able only when pressed hard.
- Now add 1 and 1/2 cups ash gourd along with few curry leaves and 2 green chilies slit into half lengthwise. Add salt to taste.
- Now add 1 cup thin coconut milk.
- Give a quick mix.
- Cook covered until ash gourd turns soft.
- Ash gourd and cow peas is cooked well. Switch off the stove.
- Add 1 cup thick coconut milk.
- Add few curry leaves and 1 teaspoon coconut oil to it.
- Give a quick mix.
- Olan is ready!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you cook both ash gourd and bean slightly mushy so that it absorbs the coconut milk flavor well and blends well.
- Switch off and then add coconut milk else there are chances for it to split.
- You can either pressure cook cow peas or open cook in a pot too. But if you want to open cook then soak the bean overnight. If you forget to soak then pressure cooking is the best and easiest option.
- Give an hour resting time at least for the vegetable and bean to absorb the curry well.
- I used homemade coconut milk, you can use coconut milk powder or ready made coconut milk which comes in cartons too.
- You can even use yellow pumpkin along with ash gourd for this curry.
Chitz
One of my favs.. Fabulously done !
Dhivya Mahesh
Hi
When should we add salt? After the veggies cooked or before that?
Nivedhanams Sowmya
so authentic and delicious
Shweet Spicess
all the combos sound yumm
Savitha Ganesan
Olan looks so good.clicks are too good.
suhaina aji
olan looks super tempting. wish i can have some rice with it now
AparnaRajeshkumar
wonderful!~
Manjula Bharath
wonderful olan looks so yummy and delicious 🙂 lovely pictorials dear !!
tinku shaji
Super yummy
Sona S
nice clicks. olan looks delicious.
Sushma Madhuchandra
Olan looks very yummy! Photos are very neat as usual 🙂