Onam Recipes | Kerala Onam Sadya recipes |

Onam Recipes | Kerala Onam Sadya recipes | Onam, one of the most well-known festivals of South India – especially Kerala and bordering towns – is one of the grandest you can see! In Kerala, it is celebrated with greater pomp and splendor than Diwali. It commemorates the homecoming of the spirit of the legendary King Mahabali. Mahabali was a great king under whose reign the people flourished like never before.

Ela Ada Recipe

His only quirk was his ego and this made Lord Vishnu take his life. Yet, since he was such a wonderful king, the Lord granted his wish to come back once a year and see his people prosper.

Onam, which falls around August-September, symbolizes prosperity and happiness. It is celebrated with dance, music, socializing and of course, food. The boat race is one of the most famous aspects of Onam, which people come from far and wide to watch. Every home is decked with flower rangolis and traditional bronze lamps and people shine in new clothes.

Ragi Puttu

There is a lot of focus on food, and people enthusiastically prepare the traditional Onam ‘sadhya’ – a meal of 20+ dishes served on a plantain leaf. There are many types of kheer, sweets and vegetable dishes prepared on that day, not to forget steamed and deep-fried snacks and pancakes. Ada Pradhaman, Chakka Pradhaman and Nei Payasam are some of the famous kheers, while Unniappam, Vada and Upperi are amongst the famous snacks.

Quick Idiyappam

Avial, Thoran, Puliseri, Pachadi, vegetable curries, and many more main course dishes are also prepared on the day! Indeed, in every way, it is a day of holistic celebration. The air is resonant with temple bells, music and laughter. The most notable thing about Onam is that it is a festival without religious boundaries. Everybody in Kerala celebrates it – and that, is the true spirit of any festival!

Vegetables in Coconut Curry

Onam sweets and payasam

The ending is very important to end on a sweet note. Here are few recipes, which have variation and you can choose your favourite.

1.      Upperi deep-fried raw banana roundels are bathed in jaggery syrup and coated with powdered sugar to make a crisp and sweet snack with a rustic, traditional taste.

Upperi, Raw Banana Sweet Crispies, Recipe for Onam

2.      Semiya Payasam a pot of sweetened milk, laced with cardamom and garnished with dry fruits is a delightful addition to any menu, especially a traditional South Indian meal.

Semiyan Payasam

3.      Paal Payasam a must-serve item during South Indian festivals, weddings and other auspicious occasions.

Paal Payasam

4.      Moong Dal Payasam made by sweetening moong dal mash with jaggery. The mixture is thinned with coconut milk and flavoured with cardamom and other spices.

Moong Dal Payasam

5.      Paal Payasam in A Pressure Cooker traditional method, which involves cooking the rice in milk in a heavy-bottomed vessel, takes a long time. Hence, we present you with a quick and easy alternative made using our handy kitchen tool, the pressure cooker.

Paal Payasam in A Pressure Cooker

Onam chutneys , pachadi and pickle 

Onam celebration a must on the banana leaf, starts with the below chutney and pachadis. Below are the variation of the these accompaniments. 

1.      Ginger Pachdi accompaniment that combines the pungency of ginger with the tanginess of tamarind and the rustic sweetness of jaggery.

Ginger Pachdi, Ginger Chutney, South Indian Recipe

2.      Doodhi Pachadi cooling bottle gourd and curds, perked up with myriad chat-pata ingredients like ginger, green chillies and onions too.

Doodhi Pachadi

3.      Cucumber Pachadi semi-spicy cucumber raita made in a typical South Indian style, with sautéed onions, green chillies and an aromatic tempering.

Cucumber Pachadi

4.      Mango Pickle raw mango is so closely associated with the indian cuisine,that almost every community has an array of recipes-especially pickles-that employ this seasonal treasure.

Mango Pickle

Onam sabzis

Subzis, loaded with coconut and spices. These subzis are just perfect and a regular combination of vegetables served on the banana leaf.

1.      Beetroot and Coconut Sabzi flavoured with a traditional tempering and a scrumptious mixture of coconut, garlic and spice powders. 

Beetroot and Coconut Sabzi, South Indian Sabzi

2.      Cabbage Foogath simple yet very delicious and the most basic and minimal ingredients are used in preparing foogath.

3.      Avial originated in kerala, but gained an equal fanfare in tamilnadu as well. Rare is the wedding or festive menu that does not include avial!

Avial

4.      Pumpkin and Chawli Errissery   most popular vegetable preparations of Kerala. Flavoured with a dry masala of onion, garlic and red chillies, the vegetables become a perfect accompaniment for hot rice and dal.

Pumpkin and Chawli Errissery, Low Salt Recipe

Onam gravies and curries

Perfect spicy, tangy curries and gravies which goes well with boiled steamed rice. It has balanced taste of all the spices and also have strong aroma of spices. Trying these recipes even for daily meals is a very good idea.

1.      Kerala Sambar a rich and flavourful version, which is made of toovar dal and mixed vegetables like brinjal, ladies finger and red pumpkin, laced with tamarind and flavoured with a spicy masala of coconut.

Kerala Sambar, Kerala Sambhar with Coconut

2.      Dal Rasam tamarind water gives a pleasant tang to the rasam, while the semi-spicy rasam powder leaves a warmth on your taste buds.

 Dal Rasam, South Indian Toovar Dal Rasam

3.      Kerala Parippu Cooked moong dal is flavoured with a paste of coconut and onions, and a traditional tempering made in coconut oil.

 Kerala Parippu, Kerala Dal, Onam Recipe

4.      Sagu Recipe a large and vibrant assortment of veggies is cooked with a traditional tempering and flavoured with a special Sagu masala that is made of dry-roasted urad dal and spices.

 Sagu Recipe, Mixed Vegetable Sagu