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Olan
Ash gourd and cowpea stew
ഓലൻ: Travancore's mild ash gourd and red cowpea stew in coconut milk (soak the beans overnight)
Olan is the quietest dish on a Travancore sadya leaf, the banana-leaf feast served in southern Kerala for Onam, weddings and temple festivals. Thin, glassy slices of ash gourd and soft red cowpeas sit in coconut milk with nothing louder than green chilli and curry leaves, and its job is to cool the palate between the tangy, fiery curries around it. The flavour comes from coconut milk added in two stages and a spoonful of raw coconut oil poured over at the end. Eat it with plain rice, or ladle it beside appam on an ordinary weekday. Chef's tip: slice the ash gourd as thin as a coin so it turns translucent in the time the coconut milk takes to thicken.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar)soaked overnight
- 14 oz ash gourd (kumbalanga)peeled, seeded and cut into thin 3 cm squares
- 4 green chilliesslit lengthways
- 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milkor 130 ml tinned coconut milk mixed with 270 ml water
- ¾ cup thick coconut milkfirst press, or tinned
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 ½ tbsp virgin coconut oil
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅛ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar) and cover them with fresh water in a pan or pressure cooker. Pressure-cook for 3 whistles, or simmer covered over a medium heat for 35–40 minutes, until a bean squashes easily between finger and thumb but still holds its shape. Drain.
40 minStep 2: Put 14 oz ash gourd (kumbalanga) and 4 green chillies in a wide pan with 1 ¾ cups thin coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the gourd pieces turn translucent at the edges and a knife slides through without resistance.
12 minStep 3: Stir in the cooked cowpeas and 1 tsp salt and simmer for 3 minutes so the beans take on the coconut flavour.
Step 4: Turn the heat to its lowest setting and pour in ¾ cup thick coconut milk. Stir gently and warm it for 2–3 minutes, only until the surface starts to steam and tiny bubbles appear at the edge. Common mistake: letting the stew boil once the thick milk is in. It splits into oily curds and the olan loses its silky, milky look.
3 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat. Crush 12 curry leaves in your hand and scatter them over, drizzle 1 ½ tbsp virgin coconut oil on top, then cover and leave for 10 minutes so the leaves perfume the stew. Stir once just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does olan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of thin coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of thick coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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