Olan- Kerala dish with world’s simplest recipe

Olan- Kerala dish  with world’s   simplest   recipe

Compiled by

P.R.Ramachander

The recipe of olan

1.Cut Pumpkin/Ash gourd   in to thin square  flat pieces

2.Boil   with small  quantity of salt

3.Season it   with  Raw  coconut oil

Though  all keralites   who use  coconut  oil for cooking like  this simple dish , most of the outsiders   do not like that smell.Also  except  the  taste  of   vegetable   and salt, there  is no taste  in the dish, many  people  considered  it flat.

The following trials were made

1.Change   the oil .

    No  raw oil  was found suitable   as they have a raw flavor   which most people do not like  .However   using  any refined  oil  was Okay  . We have tried  raw olive oil  and the taste   was Okay

2.Methods  to change flat taste

a.       The  first trial was  by adding one or two   cut  green chillies. This would   add to its flavor   and also taste.

b.      The second trial was  adding coconut  milk.This gave it a rich taste.

c.       The third  was   to add  boiled  cow pea seeds   along   with ash gourd   while preparing Olan. The taste   definitely  is different and many people  prefer  it this way.

d.      The fourth way was to add  cut green cow pea (payaru)   while cooking ,This also added   to the taste

e.      I have personally  tried, Chow chow  , cucumber  , carrot  etc instead  of  ash gourd /pumpkin and the taste   was good.

f.        Add  both  ash gourd  and pumpkin  so that , there would be a sweet   taste

g.       Add  curry leaf  at the end

The recipe  of a professional  cook  of Cochin(Sri Anantha Raman   of Vinayaka caterers)


Materials required
1. Dried cow pea seeds (Rajma)-10 gm
2. Green sweet pumpkin-15 gm
3. Tender ash gourd-15 gm
4. Cow pea 5 gm
5. Green chilies 4
6. ½ grated coconut
7. Coconut oil -1 table spoon

Method

1.Soak cow peas seds for 8 hours
2.Cut pupkin and ash gourd in to thin square slices
3.Cut cow pea in to two inch pieces
4.Add cow pea seeds and green chiles to cut vegetables and cook till everything is properly cooked
5.Extract milk out of the grated coconut
6.After taking out the vessel from the stove add the Coconut mil and raw coconut oil (7) and stir well.

  Though  all these  modifications   have been suggested, I still prefer   the simple dish  of  ash gourd/pumpkin   seasoned   with raw  coconut oil.