Olan | Olan Recipe

Olan is a quite essential sidedish in the Onam Sadya menu made with ashgourd, cowpeas and fresh coconut as main ingredients, it is so easy to make and tastes delicious. Olan recipe is a simple home style stew with coconut milk as the main flavour along with ashgourd and cowpeas. Now lets get on to learn Olan recipe with step by step pictures and video.

Olan is my favourite among all other items in Onam Sadya Lunch Menu. Olan is very mild with coconut milk and I just love the flavour of it.

About Olan Recipe

Olan 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. It is a no spice very simple dish to make with pure coconut milk flavour, yummy is an understatement I say.

It 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 (mittus friend’s mother) a Keralite and tried it instantl, and we all loved it. Have you ever craved for a dish which you havent tasted in your life time? Yes this is what happened to me – don’t really know where I fell in for this olan either the look of it or my friends influence not really sure.

More Kootu, Curry Recipes

Ingredients

• Ashgourd / Kumbalanga (in Malayalam) & alternatives : Ashgourd / White Pumpkin is a common Friday thing when shops use them to drop and break it as an offering to remove drishti (evil eye) or placed with horror faces scribbled on it at homes. 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.
• Cow peas : Vaenpayar (Malayalam) / Thattapayaru (Tamil) / Alasandalu (Telugu) / Lobhiya (Hindi) / Alasandee (Kannada) gives the crunchy feel of the curry. These cowpeas are so good to be a part of two hero curries – with the other hero being Ash gourd, Yam and Pumpkin.

More related recipes

• Sambar
• Cabbage thoran
• Beetroot thoran
• Matta rice

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Olan | Kerala Olan

Olan is a traditional side dish of Kerala made by cooking ash gourd with cowpeas in coconut milk & curry leaves. Olan is one of the main ingredient of Onam Sadhya and commonly made for lunch in Kerala. Olan recipe is easy & quick to make and here we go with step by step pictures & video.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Servings3

AuthorSharmilee J

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups white ash gourd
• 1/2 cup cowpeas
• 2 nos green chillies slitted
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• a small sprig curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• salt to taste
• water as needed

Instructions

• Soak the bean / cow peas overnight
• Pressure cook with little water until the bean turns soft but not mushy may be for 5 whistles. Set aside.
• Heat up 1/2 cup of water along with 1 cup thin coconut milk - add ash gourd and green chillies to it.
• Peel of the skin of ash gourd and chop them into bite sized pieces, Set aside
• Cook till the veggie turns soft (not mushy it should hold its shape). Then add cooked beans, required salt and thick coconut milk.
• When its about to boil switch off. Add curry leaves and drizzle coconut oil and add it to the curry.
• Serve olan warm with rice or any variety rice.

Video

Notes

• Make sure you cook both ash gourd and bean slightly mushy so that it absorbs the coconut milk flavour well and blends well.
• Also after thick coconut milk is added do not cook for more time as it will start to curdle.
• Coconut milk enhances the flavour of the curry. I cooked the bean with very little water(just immersing level).You can either pressure cook cowpeas 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 hrs resting time at least for the veggies and bean to absorb the curry well.
• I used homemade coconut milk, you can use coconut milk powder or readymade coconut milk which comes in cartons too.
• You can even use yellow pumpkin along with ash gourd for this curry.

Nutrition Facts

Olan | Kerala Olan

Amount Per Serving (75 g)

Calories 353 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 30g188%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 1315mg57%

Potassium 411mg12%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 4IU0%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 70mg7%

Iron 7mg39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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How to make Olan

1. Peel of the skin of ashgourd and chop them into bite sized pieces,Set aside.Soak the bean overnight and pressure with little water until the bean turns soft but not mushy may be for 5 whistles(I made a little more than 1/4 cup for sundal),Set aside.Heat up 1/2 cup of water along with 1 cup thin coconut milk – add ashgourd and green chillies to it.
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2. Cook till the veggie turns soft(not mushy it should hold its shape).Then add cooked beans, required salt and thick coconut milk.
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3. When its about to boil switch off.If you are scared if coconut milk will curdle then switch off wait for 5 mins then add coconut milk.Add curry leaves and drizzle coconut oil and add it to the curry.Pin

Serve warm with rice or any variety rice.

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Expert Tips

• Make sure you cook both ashgourd and bean slightly mushy so that it absorbs the coconut milk flavour well and blends well.
• Also after thick coconut milk is added dont cook for more time as it will start to curdle.
• Coconut milk enhances the flavour of the curry.I cooked the bean with very little water(just immersing level).You can either pressure cook cowpeas 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 hrs resting time atleast for the veggies and bean to absorb the curry well.
•  I used homemade coconut milk, you can use coconut milk powder or readymade coconut milk which comes in cartons too.
• You can even use yellow pumpkin along with ashgourd for this curry.

Serving Suggestions

• Olan is one of the important dish in Onam Sadhya. It can be served as a side dish in vegetarian meals and thali. Olan goes well with Appam and Idiyappam.
• 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.How do you differentiate Olan from Eriserry?
The taste of Olan and Eriserry is unique in their taste – However the cooking method is similar with the differentiating factor being the vegetable – Olan is made with White Pumpkin / Ash gourd while Eriserry is make with Pumpkin.

2.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 dual vegetable stir fry dish!

3.Can I cook Olan without Black eyed peas?
Yes, however it may not taste like traditional Olan and will miss the crunchiness!

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.

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