Chowwary Olan

Ingredients

• Ash gourd – 2 cups, thinly sliced
• Cooked red cowpeas / vanpayar – ½ cup
• Moti sago / chowwary – ¼ cup
• Thin coconut milk – 1½ cups
• Thick coconut milk – ½ cup
• Green chillies – 2, slit
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Salt – as needed
• Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Method

1. Rinse the sago and cook it separately in water until completely soft. Drain excess water if necessary.
2. Cook ash gourd, green chilli and salt in the thin coconut milk over low to medium-low heat until the ash gourd is tender but still holds its shape.
3. Add the cooked cowpeas and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Fold in the cooked sago. If the mixture is too thick, add a little hot water or thin coconut milk.
5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and stir in the thick coconut milk. Warm gently for 1 to 2 minutes; do not allow a strong boil after thick coconut milk is added.
6. Add curry leaves and coconut oil, then switch off and cover for 5 minutes so the aroma settles.
7. Check salt only at the end; olan is intentionally mild and should not be heavily spiced.
8. Serve with rice as part of a Kerala meal. Traditional olan is an ash-gourd, cowpea and coconut-milk dish; the sago here is an added variation.