Indian cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Olan

Very mild Kerala stew of pumpkin slices and white beans in thin coconut milk, perfumed only with chili and coconut oil.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 700 g pumpkin
• 100 g white beans (soaked overnight)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 3 green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Soak the white beans overnight, drain and boil in fresh water for 25 min. until tender; peel the pumpkin and cut into thin slices of about 5 mm.
2. Halve the green chilies lengthwise so they release flavor but little heat.
3. Put the pumpkin slices with the chilies, salt, and just 100 ml water into a wide pot and steam covered for 8 min. until the pumpkin is just tender.
4. Add the cooked beans and fold in gently without crushing the pumpkin slices — olan lives on the whole pieces.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and let it steep over very low heat for 5 min. without boiling, or the coconut milk will curdle.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, pour coconut oil and the curry leaves over it, cover for 5 min. and serve lukewarm with rice.