Olan

Method

1. 1 Soak the kidney beans for 8 hours, then boil them for 30 minutes until soft but the skins haven't broken open.
2. 2 Slice the pumpkin and zucchini into thin 5 mm slices; cut the zucchini into slices, not cubes, so that they cook evenly in the diluted broth.
3. 3 Cook the squash with 150 ml of water, sliced green chilies, and salt for 8 minutes over low heat, stirring gently to prevent the squash slices from breaking apart.
4. 4 Add the boiled beans, then pour in the coconut milk and cook until the liquid just begins to simmer, then turn off the heat immediately because a strong boil will cause the coconut milk to separate and release its oil.
5. 5 Drizzle with cooled coconut oil and sprinkle with curry leaves — this is the only dish in the Kerala meal that doesn't use fried mustard seeds.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 35 min

  Replace step 1: boil the soaked kidney beans under high pressure for 8 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 8 minutes; steps 3 and 4 still involve cooking the pumpkin and coconut milk with the lid open over low heat to prevent the pumpkin from becoming mushy and the coconut milk from separating.