'Onasadya': Kerala Preps Up To Celebrate Onam This Year With Pomp, Not Without Sumptuous Food, Of Course!

As Kerala begins celebrating Onam, the vibrant harvest festival that marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali, the state is filled with the joy and traditions of this 10-day event.

A major highlight of Onam is the elaborate vegetarian feast known as "Onasadya", which reflects Kerala's rich culinary heritage. This lavish meal is traditionally served on a banana leaf, symbolising both the harvest season and nature's abundance.

Chef Ranjit Mondal, Senior Sous Chef at Tamara Kodai, Kodaikanal, while speaking to Hindustan Times said, "Serving Onasadya 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."

To celebrate Onam, the restaurant is hosting a special event in collaboration with "Kodai In A Box," offering fun activities alongside the grand feast.

The sadya includes a range of must-try dishes such as payar thoran, olan, erissery, parippu pradhaman, and kuthari choru, each offering unique flavors and textures.

Chef R. Solomon at Dakshin, Sheraton New Delhi, highlights a few key dishes: "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, high in fiber, aiding digestion and good for the heart. Parippu pradhaman is Onam's most popular dish and a highly consumed dessert. Lastly, olan is a stew made with white pumpkin and red lobia, which complements the kuthari choru."

To mark Onam, the restaurant has launched a specially-curated sadya menu, featuring delicacies like sambaram, naaringa achar, pappadam, olan, and erissery.

Chef Sania Naqvi from Seeking Roots, Delhi-NCR, adds that the sadya stands out from everyday Kerala cuisine due to its variety, complexity, and cultural significance.

"The Sadya has more variety in the number of dishes, tastes, and textures, whereas everyday cuisine consists mostly of simpler dishes and emphasises practicality. Onam Sadya is also tied to cultural rituals and traditional practices." The restaurant is also offering a special Onam Sadya takeaway pop-up, in collaboration with Chef Arun Kumar, author of the book 'Feast on a Leaf'.

The use of seasonal vegetables is central to the Sadya, with ingredients like red spinach for cheera thoran, ash gourd for olan, yellow pumpkin for erissery, and snake gourd for padavalanga thoran. While Kerala cuisine is diverse, Onasadya is distinct for being strictly vegetarian and including a wider array of options than typical daily meals.

Kerala's culinary landscape is diverse, and different regions have unique Onam food traditions. In Central Kerala, avarai parippu, a tangy lentil-based curry, is particularly popular, while the Malabar region is known for ariyunda, a sweet treat made from rice flour, jaggery, and coconut.

Chef Bala Subramaniam at South of Vindhyas, The Orchid Hotel in Mumbai, highlights the importance of sweet dishes in Onam celebrations.

"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," he explains.

To celebrate the spirit of Onam, the chef has curated a special feast, the "Adipoli Onasadya", featuring 56 authentic dishes.

For those preparing Sadya for the first time, Chef Ashish Kadam at Novotel Mumbai International Airport offers practical tips. He advises starting preparations early and organising ingredients in advance, given the complexity of the meal.

"Sadya consists of multiple dishes, so preparing a menu and organising ingredients in advance is crucial. Ensure your meal has a variety of dishes to represent this balance of multiple flavours from curries to chutneys to payasam. Using seasonal and local ingredients like ash gourd, yam, and raw banana is key. Stick to locally available ingredients for authenticity."

He also says breaking the cooking process into manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed and adjusting seasonings throughout the preparation for balanced flavors.