Famous Onam Sadhya Recipes from Kerala, India

Introduction to Onam: Onam, the harvest festival, is celebrated with immense joy in the state of Kerala, India. A significant part of the celebration is the elaborate Onam Sadhya, a grand feast served on a banana leaf. The meal is rich in vegetarian dishes that reflect the agricultural abundance of Kerala during the festival.

Famous Onam Sadhya Recipes

1. Sambar: A lentil-based vegetable stew flavored with tamarind and spices. It is typically served with rice.

2. Rasam: A spicy tangy soup made with tamarind, tomatoes, and various spices. It is often enjoyed as a starter.

3. Avial: A mixed vegetable dish cooked with yogurt and coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.

4. Thoran: A dry stir-fry made with finely chopped vegetables like cabbage or beans, coconut, and spices.

5. Kootu Curry: A semi-dry curry made with vegetables and lentils. It is often flavored with coconut and spices.

6. Pachadi: A yogurt-based dish made with vegetables or fruits like cucumber or pineapple. It is seasoned with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

7. Olan: A gentle curry made with ash gourd and black-eyed peas cooked in coconut milk.

8. Payasam: A sweet dessert made with rice or vermicelli cooked in milk, sweetened with jaggery. It is often flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts.

9. banana chips: Crispy fried slices of raw banana, often seasoned with salt.

10. Pappadam: Crisp thin wafers made from lentil flour, typically served as a side dish.

Preparing a Traditional Avial

To take you through one of the most traditional and popular dishes of Onam Sadhya, we will prepare the Avial. This dish is made with a variety of vegetables and is a staple in the grand feast.

Ingredients:

Cucumber Carrot Drumstick Beans Banana Coconut Turmeric Powder Mustard Seeds Curry Leaves Salt

Recipe:

Cut all the vegetables (cucumber, carrot, drumstick, beans, and banana) into small pieces. Make a coconut paste by blending coconut with a little water. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and a little salt to the coconut paste. In a cooking pan, heat the vegetable pieces until they become soft. Pour the coconut paste into the pan and mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. Cook until the mixture becomes fragrant. Add a few curry leaves and turn off the heat.

These dishes come together to create a rich and diverse culinary experience that highlights the agricultural abundance of Kerala during the Onam festival. Each dish is a testament to the skill and creativity of the local cooks, and they are a delightful part of the grand feast that Onam Sadhya is.