Another traditional Kerala Sadya dish, Olan is a delicious curry made with ash gourd, taro and cowpeas cooked in coconut milk.
Last day, we celebrated the festival of Vishu. It has been long since the four of us- Dad, mom, sister and I came together for this festival. Needless to say, it was a special day, especially since we are now at our new home. I made Vishu Kani, helped mom with Sadya and we also had a huge family reunion which ended in watching a second show movie night. This unexpected turn of events was what made me lag behind the A to Z Challenge by a day, (Game of Thrones finale season premiere didn’t help much either) but I am catching up.
I had a completely different dish in mind for the letter O, but when Mamma made this one for the Vishu Sadya, I thought, oh why not share this one with y’ all. The inevitable dish for a Sadya, Kerala Olan is made with ash gourd (also known as white pumpkin/winter melon – kumbalanga), taro (or colocasia – chembu), and cowpeas (or blackeyed peas) simmered in coconut milk. I thought it was a complicated dish but it came together in no time. The best part of the dish is that there are no spice powders added. The delicate flavors are that of coconut milk and green chilies.
| Find other Kerala Sadya Recipes
In some parts of Kerala, pumpkin and long beans are also added. But then, I always feel that becomes more or less a vegetable stew. Vegan and gluten-free, Olan is mild in spice but is rich and creamy due to the addition of coconut milk.
How to make Kerala Olan
Soak the blackeyed peas for a couple of hours. Wash and cook in a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles. Strain and keep aside.
Pressure cook diced winter melon/ash gourd and diced taro/colocasia for up to two whistles. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add curry leaves and slit green chilies. Add cooked ash gourd and taro and saute for a couple of minutes.
Season well and add the second coconut milk. Let it simmer for about ten minutes. Add cooked blackeyed peas and mix well. Add first coconut milk, mix and remove from heat after about a minute.
That’s it! Easy-peasy! Serve warm with rice.
Kerala Olan Recipe:
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Olan | Ash Gourd in Coconut Milk
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Made with white pumpkin, taro and blackeyed peas simmered in coconut milk, Kerala Olan is a classic Onam Sadya dish.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Blackeyed peas
- 200 gms Ash gourd, diced
- 200 gms Colocasia, diced
- 2+1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2–3 sprigs of curry leaves
- 3 green chilies, slit
- 1 cup second Coconut milk
- 1/4 cup first Coconut milk
Instructions
- Soak the blackeyed peas for a couple of hours.
- Wash and cook in a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles in just enough water and salt. Strain and keep aside.
- Pressure cook diced winter melon/ash gourd and diced taro/colocasia for up to two whistles.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan and add curry leaves and slit green chilies.
- Add cooked ash gourd and taro and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Season well and add the second coconut milk. Let it simmer for about ten minutes.
- Add cooked blackeyed peas and mix well.
- Add first coconut milk, mix and remove from heat after about a minute.
- Pour a tbsp of coconut oil on top of the curry for added flavor.
Notes
One can boil the blackeyed peas with ash gourd and taro. But this results in a brown curry whereas a classic Kerala Olan is white in color. For this same reason, we boil the peas separately at first and do not even use water in which the peas is boiled.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Kerala
That’s all for now!
Have you had Olan in a Kerala Sadya? If not Ash Gourd, which other vegetables do you add for making Olan? Let me know.
I hope you’ll drop by tomorrow too.
My theme for the A to Z Challenge this year is ’26 Kerala Dishes that have my heart’, where I would share a multitude of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from the Spice Capital of the World- Kerala!
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What a unique dish with such unusual combination of ingredients. I mean ash gourd, colocasia and black eyed peas in one recipe. Amazing!!
I love kerala sadya. I have had Olan and stew. The coconut in the dishes is soothing to the taste. The white and blue sari border looks beautiful with the kadhi of Olan. good presentation.
https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2019/04/ovary-parts-of-body.html
Very simple and homely. Very simple to make too. I will give it a try.