ONAM SADYA

Onam is the most popular festival in Kerala and is celebrated with great pomp and show. Onam is celebrated each year in the month of August-September which according to the Malayalam calendar is the first month of the year called Chingam. Carnival of Onam lasts for ten days and brings out the best of Kerala culture and tradition. Pookalam, Onasadya, breathtaking Snake Boat Race and exotic Kaikottikali dance, Pulikali etc are some of the most remarkable features of Onam - the harvest festival in Kerala. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

The Onam sadya(feast) is another very indispensable part of Thiruvonam, and almost every Keralite attempts to either make or attend one. The Onasadya reflects the spirit of the season and is traditionally made with seasonal vegetables such as yam, cucumber, ash gourd and so on. 

The feast is served on plantain leaves and consists of nine courses, but may include over two dozen dishes, including: 

• Ghee               

• Salt 

• Pickle/ Achaar - Spicy mango pickle.

              

• Injicurry - A sweet pickle made of ginger, tamarind, greenchilli and jaggery, also called Puli-inji.

            

• Kaya Varuthathu - Banana chips       

• Sharkara upperi - Prepared by chopping bananas into thick piece, deep fried and then mixed into melted jaggery.

                          

• Aviyal - Thick mixture of various vegetables, and coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.

                  

• Thoran - dry vegetable dish with grated coconut.

                

Cabbage thoran

• Mezhukuvaratti

              

Kaya Payar Mezhukuvaratti

• Kootukari - Vegetables like banana or yam cooked with chickpeas, coconut and black pepper.                 

• Erissery - A thick curry made from pumpkin, vanpayar and coconut.

                     

• Kaalan - It is very thick and more sour, made of yogurt, coconut, vegetables like nendrakaya and yam

                     

• Olan - A light dish, prepared of ash gourd, black peas, coconut milk, and seasoned with coconut oil.

                     

• Kichadi - Curry made of yogurt and usually made cucumber or okra.

                      

Vendakkya kichadi

• Pachadi - A sweet form of Kichadi, made with pineapple and grapes in yogurt.   

Pineapple pachadi

• Pappadam

                  

• Banana - A ripe banana is often served with the Sadhya to be eaten with the dessert, Payasam.

                   

• Rice - It is the main item in a sadhya. It is always the Kerala red rice/ matta rice.

                

• Paprippu

            

• Sambar - A thick gravy made of lentils, tamarind, vegetables and spices.

                        

• Pulisseri - A sour, yellow-colored thin curry made with slightly soured yogurt.

             

• Rasam - A side dish made of tamarind, tomatoes, and spices like pepper, asafetida, coriander etc.

                      

• Payasam - A sweet kheer made by boiling rice, vermicelli or ada with milk and sugar; it is flavoured with cardamom, cashews and raisins.

       

Paalada payasam

• Prathaman -  A sweet dish in the form of a thick liquid and is made with jaggery and coconut milk.

           

Ethapazham Prathaman       

• Sambaram - A drink made from salted buttermilk with green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. Drunk to improve digestion.

                    

Sambaram

The importance of the feast to the Kerala's Onam celebration culture is captured in the famous Malayalam proverb "Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam" or “ കാണം  വിറ്റും  ഓണം  ഉണ്ണണം” which means "One must have the Onam lunch even selling his property, to have so".




                                 HAPPY ONAM!!!!!!!!