Onam Special Olan ~ Sadhya Recipes

Olan recipe with step by step pics and video recipe. Olan is a traditional Kerala dish and inevitable item in Onam Sadhya. Here is the recipe for the special olan. It is cooked either with cow peas or long beans and with white pumpkin and yellow pumpkin. 

Ash gourd(white pumpkin/kumbalanga) and yellow pumpkin(mathan) is used. adding yellow pumpkin is optional. red/brown cowpeas is used in this recipe. soak the red cowpeas overnight.

let’s see quick video of olan recipe:

Let’s see step by step photos with instructions on how to make perfect olan.

firstly, use an earthen pot to cook if you have one. cooking a traditional recipe the traditional way brings out the perfect flavor.

soak the red cow peas overnight in enough water. strain and add it to the cooker with enough water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. It shouldn’t be mushy at the same time, it shouldn’t be half cooked. it should be easily mashable but intact in shape.

open after the pressure settles and check to see if the cowpeas is easily mashable. 

take an earthen pot or a normal pot. Before switching the heat on, add the vegetables (white pumpkin and yellow pumpkin or one of it). Add salt, green chillies slit.

to this, add thin coconut milk or second coconut milk. you can also cook it in water but the actual olan recipe, vegetables are cooked in coconut milk. mix well and let it boil in simmer until the vegetables are cooked.

Once the vegetables are cooked, put the flame to low and add cooked cow peas, salt and 1/4 cup thick coconut milk.

lastly, add curry leaves and drizzle some coconut oil on top of it.

mix well and switch off. the heat in the curry is well enough for the first coconut milk to get cooked. if you are using earthen pot, then the heat is well maintained. so, after adding thick coconut milk, switch off and stir.