Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala and is celebrated by all regardless of religion. While the celebrations go on for 10 days ending on the main holiday – Thiru Onam (Aug 31st this year) – the day on which the whole family gets together for a vegetarian feast – Onam Sadya.
The sadya is traditionally served on a banana leaf and eaten by hand. Most of the dishes focus on the bountiful harvest and are mildly spiced – with the relishes on the side used to kick it up a notch. It can have anywhere from eight to a couple of dozen dishes including dessert. Once you are done with the feast, prepare to be in a food coma! Below is a list of the 15 items that we will be serving along with a short description.
Matta Rice
A very unique rice from the Palghat region of Kerala, this rice is rich with bran and has a nutty and robust flavor.
Sambar
A lentil and vegetable dish that is a mainstay of South Indian households. The flavors of Asafoetida and Tamarind sets this apart from other lentil dishes. Our Sambar will feature Okra, Carrots & Potatoes.
Parippu & Ghee
A very simple lentil dish – we are featuring the Northern & Central Kerala version of the dish where lentils are cooked with just salt and enjoyed with a dash of Ghee. Toor dal or split pigeon peas are used in the preparation.
Avial
Avial is the queen of the sadya. Usually made with a mix of vegetables in a thick coconut & yogurt mixture, it’s mildly spiced and exudes the aroma of cumin. We used a mix of carrots, winter melon, raw banana & bitter gourd.
Olan
This beautiful ash gourd (winter melon) and black-eyed bean dish is finished with a little coconut milk and cumin.
Erissery
This dish is typically made with mashed calabaza squash or raw plantains. Roasted coconut adds a bit of crunch and texture. We used calabaza squash in our version.
Kaalan
Raw plantains and/or elephant yam cooked in yogurt and flavored with Fenugreek, this dish adds a tangy note to the sadya. We picked raw plantains for the vegetable.
Thoran
One of our favorite side dishes is the thoran which is a simple stir fry of carrots and cabbage with grated coconut.
Pachadi
Our version of the pachadi is made with pineapple spiced and cooked in yogurt bringing a bit of sweetness and tang.
Inji Puli
Talk about a flavor rush – this condiment is a concentrate of ginger and tamarind. A dash of it will open up all your senses.
Achaar
Achaar or Pickle is another condiment that is used to add a bit of spice to the sadya. Handle with care!
Pappadam
These wafer thin lentil crisps can be crushed on top of the rice to add a bit of texture to it.
Payasam
No feast is complete without dessert. Payasam is a sweet pudding – typically cooked in milk or coconut milk. There are so many varieties of it including rice, vermicelli, lentil etc. We will be featuring a coconut milk and jaggery based Ada Prathaman
Sarkara Upperi
This is another little sweet bite to round out your sadya – raw plantains candied in ginger and jaggery.
Small Banana
Save some space for a bit of fruit – if you are adventurous, save your pappadum and crush it with the banana for a tasty snack.
Plateware by Cara Janelle
Check out the video below on instructions on how to plate and eat a sadya
