A taste of Kerala: Onam Sadhya feast

As the country commences the celebrations of the Onam, a cultural and harvest festival of Kerala, marking the homecoming of the legendary demon king, Mahabali. Onam is an ongoing festival that lasts for 10 days filled with tradition, joy, happiness and an abundance of delicious food also known as Onam Sadhya, a lavish vegetarian feast.

Sadhya represents Kerala's rich culinary history and diversity, ranging from sweet to spicy which is typically served on a banana leaf. “Serving Onam Sadhya on a banana leaf is a centuries-old custom, symbolising the harvest season and the abundance of nature. Banana leaves are believed to impart a subtle, sweet flavour to the food and keep it warm. The banana leaf also connects to Kerala's cultural heritage and the traditional way of life,” explains senior Sous Chef Ranjit Mondal at the Tamara Kodai, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. On the special occasion of Onam, the restaurant is collaborating with Kodai In A Box, a farmhouse for a day filled with fun activities to celebrate the festival.

Some of the must-try dishes for Onam include payar thoran, olan, erissery, parippu pradhaman, and kuthari choru among others. “Payar thoran is a dry preparation of beans, a minimalist dish with few ingredients. Erissery is black chana and pumpkin, a seasonal dish for the month while kuthari choru is red rice and a highly consumed dish with full fibre, helping digestion and is good for the heart. Parippu pradhaman is Onam's most popular dish and a highly consumed dessert. Lastly, olan is a stew preparation made with white pumpkin and red lobia, which complements the kuthari choru,” says Chef R. Solomon at Dakshin, Sheraton, NewDelhi. The restaurant has also launched a specially curated menu for Onam Sadhya that includes dishes like sambaram, naranga achar, pappadam, olan, erissery and more.

“The Sadhya has more variety in the number of dishes, tastes and textures, whereas the everyday cuisine consists mostly of simpler dishes and emphasises practicality. Onam Sadya is also tied to cultural rituals and traditional practices," says Chef Sania Naqvi at Seeking Roots, Delhi-NCR. The restaurant is also doing a special Onam Sadhya takeaway pop-up in collaboration with Chef Arun Kumar who has just written a book Feast On a Leaf.

Using seasonal vegetables plays a key role in the preparations of the Sadhya. Vegetables that are popularly available during the season and are used for making dishes for Onam Sadhya are red spinach which is used to make cheera thoran, ash gourd for olan, yellow pumpkin used for errisery and snake gourd for padavalanga thoran. The Sadhya typically differs from the everyday Kerala cuisine, being strictly vegetarian and including more options.

Kerala, renowned for its diverse culinary landscape, offers a variety of unique Onam food traditions across different regions. In Central Kerala, a popular dish is avarai parippu, a lentil-based curry with a tangy flavour. Moving to Malabar, a distinctive sweet is ariyunda, made with rice flour, jaggery, and coconut. This sweet treat is often enjoyed during Onam celebrations in this region. Sweet dishes are also an essential part of the Onam celebrations and hold a significant cultural value. "Ada pradhaman is the most synonymous dessert with Onam celebrations in Kerala. This sweet dish is made with rice dumplings (ada), jaggery, coconut milk, and cardamom. The delicate texture of the rice dumplings combined with the rich and creamy coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery, creates a truly indulgent and flavorful dessert," explains Chef Bala Subramaniam at South of Vindhyas, The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai. The chef has also curated a special feast, the Adipoli Onam Sadhya, featuring 56 authentic dishes to celebrate the spirit of Onam.

Chef Ashish Kadam at Novotel, Mumbai International Airport shares tips to prepare a Sadhya meal for the first time at home:

1. Sadhya consists of multiple dishes, so preparing a menu and organizing ingredients in advance is crucial.
2. Ensure your meal has a variety of dishes to represent this balance of multiple flavours from curries to chutneys to payasam.
3. Using seasonal and local ingredients like ash gourd, yam, and raw banana is key. Stick to locally available ingredients for authenticity.
4. The cooking process can be overwhelming, especially with so many dishes. Start early, and break the preparation into manageable tasks.
5. Since Sadhya relies heavily on balanced flavours, taste each dish while cooking to adjust seasoning, sourness, and spice levels.

The Novotel is organising a special Onam Sadhya brunch to celebrate the festival.