Special Olan Recipe –  Stewed Brown Cow Peas and Vegetable in Coconut Milk

  My Special Olan recipe, uses a combination of Brown / Red Cow peas ( Brown Beans / Rose Mung Dhal / Van Payar / Chuvanna Payar), along with Winter Melon ( AshGourd) , Elephant Yam (Chena) and Pumpkin, which are all diced.  These are cooked perfectly and then stewed in Coconut Milk. The flavors of green chilli, fresh curry leaves and coconut oil, give a traditional Olan that inviting  appeal.  Although a traditional Olan can be cooked with only  the beans and Winter Melon and/or  Pumpkin – My Special Olan recipe always combines the  Brown beans with these three veggies. Olan is so easy to prepare and is a wonderful side dish. It can be made thicker ( the way we like it) or loosened with more coconut milk to a thinner consistency. A staple in the Kerala Sadhya Recipes.

Special Olan Recipe –  Stewed Brown Cow Peas and Vegetable in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Brown / Red Cow Peas ( Brown Beans / Rose Mung Dhal / Van Payar / Chuvanna Payar),
• just over ¾ cup Winter Melon (Ash gourd) – cut into medium sized cubes
• ¾ cup Pumpkin – cut into medium sized cubes
• ¾ cup Elephant Yam ( Chena)  – cut into medium sized cubes
• ½ – 1 cup thick coconut cream or coconut milk
• 3 – 7 green chillies, slit and seeds removed
• salt to taste
• handful of curry leaves

Method:

• Rinse the  cow peas / beans well. Add to a small pressure cooker with just enough water to cover and ¼ tsp salt.
• Cook on high on a smaller sized burner, till you hear the first steam whistle. Then reduce heat to low and cook another 8 minutes. Allow the cooker to cool on its own.
• Open and drain the beans. The beans should be cooked tender but still firm and not mashed. Set aside in a large bowl.
• 
• The Pumpkin, Yam and Winter Melon should be cut into medium cubes.
• Slit the green chillies length wise and remove the seeds.
• 
• To the same small cooker, add the cubed yam, water just to cover it and a little salt. Pressure cook on medium for a SINGLE steam. Release the steam quickly by holding the cooker under running water. Then open. Sprinkle cold water and drain the yam. Set aside along with the beans.
• 
• Again, to same  cooker, add the pumpkin, just a tiny amount of water and a little salt. Pressure cook on medium for a SINGLE steam. Release the steam quickly by holding the cooker under running water. Then open.
• Careful not to mash the pumpkin remove the hot water, sprinkle cold water over the pumpkin (Do not hold under strong runing water or the pumpkin will get mashed). Drain.
• Set aside the pumpkin with the cooked beans too.
• 
• Lastly, add the Winter melon, just a little water and ½ tsp salt. Pressure cook on low till the first steam. Cool the cooker again by holding under running water. Open.
• 
• Check the doneness of all the vegetables that have cooled down now.
• Add it all to the Winter melon in the cooker, making sure there is not too much liquid in the cooker before adding the vegetables. If there is, you might want to pour some out.
• Now add  the coconut milk (THICK). Add just as much as you need to barely cover the ingredients. Now simmer the curry, adding salt to taste.
• 
• Simmer till nice and thick. At this point you can decide is you would like the Olan thicker or thinner. As a side dish, I think its better to be of a thicker consistency.
• 
• Lastly,  crush the curry leaves with your hands  and add over the Olan along with the coconut oil. Remove from heat. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• 
• Serve with ‘Sadhya’ or even with fish curry and rice.

Special Olan Recipe –  Stewed Brown Cow Peas and Vegetable in Coconut Milk

Try it and let us know – Special Olan Recipe –  Stewed Brown Cow Peas and Vegetable in Coconut Milk .