Kerala Olan Recipe with Pumpkin and Black Eyed Beans – Coconut Milk Vegetable Stew

Kerala Olan Recipe with Pumpkin and Black Eyed Beans is a staple and a simple delicious dish from Kerala that is healthy and nutritious. The Olan recipe is made with yellow pumpkin or the white pumpkin also known as the ash gourd. It’s a mild stew that is delicately spiced with green chillies, flavored with curry leaves and coconut milk. It is also a dish that is served during the Onam Sadya meal of the Onam festival.  Course : Main Course Ingridients : 1 cup Vellai Poosanikai (Ash gourd/White Pumpkin) , peeled and diced 1 cup Kaddu (Parangikai/ Pumpkin) , peeled and diced 1/2 cup Black Eyed Beans (Lobia) , soaked for 1 hour 3 Green Chillies , slit lengthwise 250 ml Coconut milk , store bought or homemade Salt , to taste 2 sprig Curry leaves 2 teaspoons Coconut Oil Instructions To begin making the Kerala Olan Recipe with Pumpkin and Black Eyed Beans, prep all the ingredients and keep ready.Soak the black eyed beans in water for one hour and pressure cook the bean along with a little salt for about 15 minutes. Once cooked, allow the pressure to release naturally and keep aside. Place the the ash gourd and the yellow pumpkin along with a little salt, 1/4 cup of water  into the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles and turn off the heat. Release the pressure immediately, by lifting the weight with fork or running the pressure cooker under cold water. This is to ensure that the vegetables remain firm and don't get over cooked.In a heavy bottomed saucepan; add in the cooked ash gourd, black eyed beans, coconut milk, curry leaves, cooked black eyed beans, green chillies along with salt to taste.Stir well to combine and simmer the Kerala Olan on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes so the flavours from the curry leaves and green chillies along with the vegetables get well incorporated. Adjust gravy to get the right consistency of the Kerala Olan by adding a little water if you want to make it little thinner. Make sure the Kerala Olan is not too watery.In the last minute of simmering process, stir in the coconut oil into the Kerala Olan and simmer for a few another minute and turn off the heatTurn off the heat, cover the pan and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.This brings out the flavors from the curry leaves, green chillies and coconut to become more prominent.Transfer the Kerala Olan with Pumpkin and Black Eyed Beans to a serving bowl. Serve the Kerala Olan Recipe with Pumpkin and Black Eyed Beans along with Steamed Rice, Urulai Kizhangu Roast, Elai Vadam for a wholesome lunch or dinner.