Olan

Love it when Sundays are a breeze- no getting up early, no toiling in the kitchen and no running around for daughter's extra curricular activities - yesterday was all that & more - easy,hearty & comforting food,catching up with lots of books /magazines and loads of mindless TV. Guess who's the happy soul :D
While reading sunday's newspaper there was an interesting article about how today's kids are an important part of shopping discussions at home- whether it is phones or cars or any other electronics and even fashion, the opinion of kids are given prominence ; no longer are the kids just kids, their insights & inputs are increasingly appreciated and attached importance. While this is welcome, what was a little too much to digest was the fact that kids of very well-to-do families being given mobile phones at the age of 9 and car at the age of 14 !!!! Is it a healthy trend I wonder ??? Is it not too much exposure at a very young age ??? Yes, it goes without saying that kids are more adept in handling the gadgets and there age is just a number, but where should the limit be drawn ???


Olan, a hearty dish from God's very own country is an important part of Kerala Cuisine. A must in the feasts (sadhya) and wedding celebrations this mild tasting dish is very pleasing.While Kerala prides itself as the spice-coast of India and its cuisine boasts of a variety of spice-rich treats, olan the gentle dish,is most welcome for its clean and fuss-free flavours. Vegetables and (or) legumes is cooked and flavored with coconut milk, spiced with green chilli (s) and garnished with coconut oil & curry leaves. Ain't that hearty ?? 

The ingredients in the olan generally vary from region to region ;pumpkin & snake bean (long podded cowpea/yard long bean) makes a regular appearance. Fresh coconut milk makes the dish a treat to the senses, though with time constraints store bought coconut milk is preferred. I have used the white pumpkin (ash gourd) & the yellow pumpkin along with potatoes for the dish. I served it with Rice & Keerai Masiyal (Mashed Greens) and the lunch was a  delightful affair !!

What's in it :-

• White Pumpkin (Ash Gourd) - 1 cup - thinly sliced
• Yellow Pumpkin - 1/2 cup - thinly sliced
• Potato - 1 - thinly sliced
• Green Chilli - 1 or 2 - halved & slit lengthwise
• Coconut Milk - 1 1/4 cup
• Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves - a few
• Salt - to taste

Here's How :-

Take 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and thin it a little with water. Now add it to the cut vegetables and green chillis and let it cook on a low/medium flame for some time. The vegetables has to turn soft but not mushy.Add salt to taste and tip in the remaining (thick) coconut milk. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the coconut oil & curry leaves and take it off flame. Enjoy it with rice.