Onam 2024: 5 Essential Dishes To Have In Your Sadya Leaf

During the joyous Onam festivities in Kerala, a diverse mix of tastes and traditions take center stage. The annual harvest festival honors abundance, togetherness, and cultural legacy with a grand feast of 26 dishes in the traditional Onam Sadhya meal.

Besides the tasty dishes, the meal rituals associated with Onam create a unique feeling of togetherness and reverence during the festivities.

Onam's culinary mastery is evident in the Onam Sadhya, a lavish feast with 26 meticulously prepared dishes that combine harmonious flavors. The Sadhya showcases Kerala's diverse culinary traditions through aromatic rice, various curries, chutneys, and pickles.

The Onam Sadhya menu includes well-loved dishes like 'Avial,' a combination of vegetables in coconut gravy, and 'Sambar,' a tasty lentil soup paired with rice. 'Olan,' a mild concoction prepared with ash gourd and coconut milk, adds a delicate touch to the blend. The crispy 'Pappadam' and aromatic 'Rasam' enhance the meal by offering different flavors, satisfying the palate.

Having a dessert is important for a complete meal, and during Onam, a range of tasty 'Payasams' are offered as sweet porridge options. 'Palada Payasam' is a sweet dish prepared with rice and milk, praised for its creamy consistency, while 'Ada Pradhaman' consists of flattened rice cooked with jaggery and coconut milk.

The traditional Sadhya meal is usually served on a banana leaf, representing abundance and prosperity. Each dish is carefully arranged on the leaf while considering its cultural symbolism.

The tradition of 'Onam Kani' is heartfelt, as it includes setting up a range of symbolic items like fruits, veggies, flowers, and grains in a lovely way in the early hours of the morning. This ritual, viewed as an homage to God, represents hope, achievement, and the cycle of existence.

Spotting the 'Kani' on Onam's initial day is believed to bring good fortune throughout the year.

Dishes Served With Rice In the Onam Sadhya:

Sambar: a zesty lentil and vegetable.

Parippu Curry: A savoury lentil stew.

3. Clarified butter, or ghee

Pappadam: Wafers of crispy lentils.

Avial: A blend of veggies with a yoghurt and coconut base.

Thoran: Spices and coconut combined with stir-fried veggies.

Kalan: a coconut and vegetable curry made with yoghurt.

Olan: Ash gourd, coconut milk, and a mild curry.

Erissery: A pumpkin, bean, and spice dish.

Pulissery: Vegetable curry with a tart yoghurt base.

Inji Curry: Chutney made with ginger.

Rasam: A tamarind-based spicy and tangy soup.

Pacha Moru: A spiced buttermilk curry.

Pachadi: A yogurt-based dish with fruits or vegetables that is sweet and sour.

Kootu Curry: A blend of spices, roasted coconut, and vegetables.

Payasams: A variety of rice, milk, and jaggery-based sweet dishes.

- Rice and milk are used to make palada payasam.

- Ada Pradhaman: A dish made with coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flakes.

- Semiya Payasam: Contains sugar, milk, and vermicelli.

Pazham: Banana Fry

Pulinkari: Curry made with tamarind.

Pavakka Kichadi: A yogurt-based dish with a hint of spice.

Ettakka Upperi: Chips with sweet plantains.

Sharkara Upperi: Banana chips coated in jaggery.

Pickles

Madhura Curry: Rich, sweet curries such as ripe mango or pineapple pachadi.

Puli inji: tamarind chutney.