Hi friends are you prepared for Onam (State festival of Kerala, India)? Have you pickle the mangoes? Did you make Banana fries (Ethakka Upperi) and Sharkkara peratti (a traditional Kerala sweet with raw banana and Jaggery) for Onam? I hope so 🙂 I know now days we are able to buy everything from our markets with natural taste…so no worries! Right? 🙂 Yeah! We will get any kind of food in a few minutes with touch of our fingertip. I am saying this because last week I spoke with my friend in India on a similar subject. She resides in Bangalore as a busy bee with her profession and family. She loves cooking and eating but not enough time to do it all. Even though she is a good supporter and lover of my food and blogging. She always says “Rani, why are you trying to kill me in this manner with your cookery pictures and recipes. Hmmm….I will not give-up, you will not defeat me in such a way because we can get very tasty and fabulous different continental food within few minutes on my plates with the help of best online food order companies. So dear you continue you’re cookery posting from Singapore and I enjoy my food feasting in Bangalore” 🙂 ha ha True! Nowadays these kind of online food companies are the saviour of our growling tummy. I know that, during the Onam season restaurants in all over the world serve Onam Sadya in a very traditional and natural way. It is really assuring for busy working people, bachelors as well as people who are unable to cook for any reason. So my dear Keralities try to celebrate your Onam in a traditional way where ever you are an in any situation 🙂 Anyway I am ready to share a simple and tasty Onam side dish recipe called “Olan” for you :-). It is a non-spicy stew prepared with ash gourd, cow peas and coconut milk. It is a good combination with chapathi too. My daughter always enjoys this dish with chappathi because she loves its non- spicy taste. Here is the yummy recipe, make a try for this Onam or take your phone and bookmark it for Onam online order menu 😉 🙂

Ingredients For Kerala Olan/ Ash Guard Stew

Method For Kerala  Olan/Ash Gourd Stew

• Place soaked cow peas in a pressure cooker with required water for cooking (do not add more water because we would strain out the water after cooking). Cook it until it whistles 3 or 4 times (Do not overcook cow peas because we need a firm but well-cooked texture for this recipe). When cooled, strain it and keep it aside. (Do not add the cooked cow peas with water, it will make your olan red colour).
• Place grated coconut in a blender or food processor with ½ cup water, blend and make a smooth watery form. Strain it and make a thick coconut milk. Keep aside.
• Reuse and place the same coconut in the blender again with 1 cup water, blend and make smooth watery form. Strain and make a thin coconut milk. Keep aside.
• Heat diced ash gourd, green chilly, chopped ginger, few curry leaves, salt and 1 cup thin coconut milk in a sauce pan. Cook until the ash gourd pieces become soft. ( Make sure, it is not mushy)
• Add cooked cow peas in it, mix well and heat again.
• When the gravy thickens, lower the flame and add thick coconut milk in it. Mix well and heat few minutes. (Do not boil, when thick coconut milk is added. It will cuddled)
• Turn off the heat and garnish Olan with fresh curry leaves and coconut milk.
• Serve warm with boiled rice or chappathy or as per your taste and enjoy 🙂
  

  Try to make this recipe in a semi thick texture because it will thicken after a while. For Onam recipe we need a thick Olan in order to serve on a banana leaf.

  You can use instant coconut milk instead of fresh.

   

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