Saturday

Oolan



This is my no.1 favorite along with morukootan. This was very much a regular in my house as i used to love this, and another regular was molagutal which is my sister's favorite. This dish is simple,delicious and naturally low in fat. Anytime i visit India and my amma wants to know what i want for lunch, my standard answer is make morukootan with oolan and papadam.. it really trasports me to a happy place and nourishes me when i become the bear and move on to sleep for hours and hours to end. When i get up and i am grouchy, i go to the kitchen and looking at leftovers of oolan makes me smile and i am to another round of pigging out with curd and mango pickle..he he

The recipe is so simple.. here it is

Red Pumpkin - 2 cups
White Pumpkin- 2 cups
Red Lobia -3/4 cup
Green Chillies -2
Coconut oil - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Method;

1. Soak the red lobia overnight and pressure cook it till soft. This never gets mushy.

2. Dice the pumpkins in 1" cubes and slit the green chillies in half.

3. In a kadhai, put the pumpkins, green chilly and 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 tsp. of salt and cook till the pumpkins are soft, not too mushy (it does mush a little)

4. Now mash the cooked lobia a little and add to the pumpkins. You can add more water if you feel the dish is too thick.Add remaining salt as needed.

5. When the oolan starts to boil, add in the coconut oil and switch off the gas.

6 Now serve this with morukootan or sambhar.. it tastes soo good.

Notes:

Coconut oil really adds another dimension to this dish, so do use it if you have.

Add minimum water to cook the pumpkins, as they have enough water in them.

You can use one color pumpkin too

The consistency of the dish should be on the thicker side not soupy...but should not be too thick (u guys get it right!!)

27 comments:

Mrs. K said...

Looks so good.
Is this Kerala Olan? You made it without coconut, right? Good to see that it can be made without coconut too.

Rajitha said...

rp -this is kerala olan. and yep! without the coconut. my mom makes both with and without the coconut, i love this version.

Viji said...

Rajitha, as RP said first time i am hearing without coconut - that too from Kerala :) nice recipe. Viji

Finla said...

I love olan and i have to say i have only tasted it with coconut. But this looks good too

Rajitha said...

viji- thanks...actually my grandmom started it this way, as my uncle had colestrol... so less of cococut. i love it this way.

happy cook - hmmm...i know many have tasted with coconut, but this is lighter and equally yummy :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

So nice to even hear these old authentic names Rajitha! Oolan, what a sweet name! I feel I am in kerala !
I too would say we need to make changes for the health of family members!

Bharathy said...

Aha,,Olan without cocconut milk!..
Pretty recipe!!
By the way rajitha it is Olan and not Oolan pl..:)

Rajitha said...

latha - thanks :) my grandma was super careful about my uncle health..so she decided to do what all mom's do!! take charge hehe

bharathy- well.. i did think olan or oolan and i felt oolan would be give better clarity in pronounciation.. hence the extra o ;)

Suma Gandlur said...

Rajitha,
feeling like to grab those pieces and eat them.
I have never tried this dish because all the recipes I came across had coconut in them and my husband hates it.
Sorry for my ignorance but can you serve this with rice? I assume it's not spicy. Why should it be served with sambhar and other dish morukootan? And what is morukootan? Too many questions, right? :)

Rajitha said...

suma- thanks :) as to ur questions.. i emailed u back...

Sreelu said...

Rajitha, Looks so delicious, I have never cooked with coconut oil,should try it ones

Latha Narasimhan said...

Rajitha, you are welcome to be my neighbour! I tried your oolan with kabuli channa! The smell and taste was great, only difference was thare was more channa than sweet pumpkin!! :D

Raaga said...

I must try this... have a packet of lobia at home... :-)

Mahek said...

hi
rajitha
Thanks for visiting my blog..
I will be reading the whole of your blog too.
such great pictures..

Padma said...

OMG that looks so good Rajitha, very nice picture and nice recipe too with white and red pumpkin

Rajitha said...

sreelu - you must try with the coconut oil, as it gives it the keralite food smell

latha - thanks.. i will move next bakshanam season for sure. you are right! my husband was .. there is more lobia than pumpkin! well.. i told him protein dear protein ;) he he thanks for trying latha, it makes me so happy :)


raaga - go ahead....it must have been hard to come back after visiting parents

mahek - thanks.. please do

Rajitha said...

padma - thanks..

amna said...

ahh now u have made me nostalgic and all that. this is so easy to make. will try and let you know, ketto :)

Rajesh &Shankari said...

kerala dish without coconut, i kept scanning thro the ingredients to see if I had missed it ;)

Cynthia said...

Ahh, there is nothing quite like food that always comforts and brings a smile to our face :)

Thanks for dropping by my blog and helping me to discover yours. I truly love your big, bold, bright, beautiful photographs that are still-life. Will definitely be coming back for more.

Come back and visit whenever you have the time.

Chef Jeena said...

Lovely pumpkin recipe :) Sounds delicious!

Swaruchy said...

Rajitha...looks so good dear......yummmm

Rajitha said...

nags- happy to make u nostalgic ;) .. so do speak fluent malyalam? i wish i learn from my dad, everybody at my home knows how to converse except me :(

shankari - he he he gotcha!

cynthia - i know.. and i am all about food ;) thanks for dropping in too :)will be a regular at urs for sure!

jeena - it is! :) i know i am totally shameless....

sirisha - thanks hon!

FH said...

Beautiful dish , colorful Rajitha:)

Rajitha said...

asha - u r back! how are you feeling? thanks for your kind words...

TBC said...

I made olan recently for Onam but with a little bit ofcoconut milk. I have not heard of this version before. Your pic is beautiful. So u're a Mallu too?

Rajitha said...

TBC- yeah... this one is devoid of cocnut he he... makes up with the oil tho! nope, not a malayalee... i am a palaghat iyer :)