Olan

Olan is a Kerala recipe served during the Onam feast made with Ash gourd and coconut milk.This is a recipe from my Malayali friend.

Preparation:30 minutes

Serves:8

Ingredients: 
2 cup cubed Ash gourd(winter melon,peeled)
2-3 slit Green chilli
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons Coconut oil
1 sprig Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Procedure: 
1.Add 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water into a pan and cook the ash gourd with green chili and salt.Let the water evaporate.(if using fresh coconut milk add 2nd coconut milk here)

2.Once the ash gourd is cooked add the rest of the coconut milk,warm it and turn off the flame.(if using fresh coconut milk add 1st coconut milk)

3.Add raw curry leaves and drizzle raw coconut oil on top.Serve.

Tips:

Some people add cooked cowpeas to the Olan.You can add 2 tablespoons of cooked cowpeas  if you like.

For thicker olan reduce the quantity of coconut milk added the  second time.

This is had with Rice.

Do not heat a lot after add the coconut milk the second time.It has to be just warm.
1st coconut milk is the milk extracted from coconut pulp(meat) for the first round,2nd coconut milk is the milk extracted from the pulp the second time.