Kidney bean Pumpkin Stew/ Olan with pumpkin is a delicious stew recipe from Kerala. They are one of the main side dishes in Onam Sadhya. Usually the stew is made with red (cow) peas, ash gourd and green chiles. In some places pumpkin is also included to make this creamy stew. The stew will usually be white in color.
As the fall season arrived, I see pumpkin and orange color every where. So I decided to try a variation of the olan with pumpkin, carrot and red kidney beans (also known as rajma). I have seen red cow peas in Indian grocery stores only where as kidney beans can be found in any grocery stores in the US. So I used them instead of red cow peas. The kidney bean Pumpkin stew is purely vegan as it is made with thick coconut milk. Green curry leaves and coconut oil adds a nice aroma and flavor to the stew.
The kidney bean pumpkin stew can be used as a curry for rice or as soup. Carrot is an additional and optional ingredient which made the stew yellow instead of white color.
Kidney bean Pumpkin Stew
Kidney Bean Pumpkin Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed Pumpkin peeled
- 1 small Carrot peeled and cubed
- 4 Green Chile pepper
- ¼ cup Water
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup Red Kidney bean cooked
- ½ cup Thick Coconut milk
- 4-5 Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin, carrot, chiles, water and salt.
- Cook on medium heat until the pumpkin and carrot is tender.
- Then add the cooked red kidney bean and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the thick coconut milk.
- Cook on low flame for 1- 2 minutes with stirring.
- Remove from heat.
- Add the curry leaves and coconut oil into the stew and mix well.
- Cover with a lid. Keep undisturbed for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
You can cook the soaked kidney beans in pressure cooker or microwave.
Do not boil the stew after adding coconut milk.
Curry leaves can be substituted with any herbs like parsley or basil, but the stew will differ slightly in taste.
The curry leaves although difficult to get in the US, (but) can be found in the Indian grocery stores near to you. Red kidney beans are available in most of the super markets here and also in Indian stores. Chiles are available in the Indian stores. I have seen them in Walmart too. They are very simple and quick to make.
Keep your taste buds warm during winter.
Happy Cooking
