Ingredients:

1 ½ cups pumpkin (matthan) cut into roughly 1” pieces which are about ¼” thick

1 ½ cups ash gourd (elavan/ kumbalanga) cut into roughly 1” pieces which are about ¼” thick

¼ cup dried red cowpeas (vanpayaru; you may use black-eyed beans)

2 or 3 green chillies, slit lengthwise (this dish is not meant to be very spicy)

1 cup thin coconut milk

½ cup thick coconut milk

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 sprig curry leaves

salt to taste


Method:

Soak the red cowpeas overnight and cook till soft but firm.

Put the sliced pumpkin and ashgourd in a pan and add the thin coconut milk. Keep this on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, add the chillies, the cooked red cowpeas, salt and allow to simmer till the vegetables are cooked while stirring occasionally.

Now add the thick coconut milk and the curry leaves. Do not allow to boil or the coconut milk will split. Mix well and then turn off the heat. The consistency of the Olan should be of a vegetable with a little gravy which is not watery yet not very thick. Pour the coconut oil in to the pan, do not mix, and cover the pan.

Mix just before serving. When mixing, the cooked vegetable may break into smaller pieces appearing a little mushy. This is acceptable.

Serve warm as a side dish along with rice, sambhar and pappadum.