Olan is a traditional Kerala dish that holds a special place in the state's cuisine. It's a simple yet flavorful preparation made with ash gourd (also known as winter melon or white pumpkin), cowpeas, coconut milk, and a hint of spices. Olan is often served as part of the Onam Sadya, a grand feast served during the Onam festival, and it's enjoyed year-round as well.

Delicious Olan is a simple preparation with any vegtable normally used in making of Sadya menu, predominantly ash gourd pumpkins are used or even snakegourd with jackfruit seeds are used. The key ingredient is addition of cooked red gram called vanpayar or black eyed beans .

Ingredients :

2 cups white pumpkins chopped into big cubes .

1/2 cup washed soaked blackeyed beans (.

.vanpayar ) .

2 1/2 cups coconut milk

salt

4-5 green chillies slit

1 tbsp coconut oil

few curry leaves .

Method :

Wash and keep the red gram soaked for 5 hours or overnight .

Pressure cook till soft , about 3 whistles .

Take a wide pan, add some coconut milk , and little water, add the chopped pumpkin cubes to it, add slit green chillies, salt , cover and cook till pumkins are valmost tender .

Then add the cooked blackeyed beans , to it, mix well and cook for some more time , do not dryn oout the mixture.

now add thick coconut milk an dkeep flame on low, allow a gentle boil , switch off.

Now add 1 tbsp raw coconut oil , mix well .

Enjoy delcious olan with rice and pappadam .