Onam time is the favourite time of the year for me, and I am sure it is that way for thousands of people, especially for those who reside away from Kerala. I always associate Onam with the traditional feast or Onam sadya as it is popularly known all over the globe with the Kerala style cooking recipes. Everyone has heard of the sumptuous culinary delights that are presented during the Onam sadya.
I am sure you have eaten plenty of traditional feasts from Kerala, but have you ever thought back to the presentation style, the way the banana leaf is pointed, the curries on their designated spots, the fruits, the sweet bites and finally, the placement of the sweet pudding or payasam by the side of the banana leaf? Each of the dishes placed on the banana leaf have their own particular position, and could be confusing for a novice in the beginning. I have mentioned many of the recipes in my Cooking Videos Malayalam; you can check those out.
Thankfully, my trips to Kerala during the Onam season have been both educational and informative, because I learnt how to make the sadya dishes, including all the nuances of Kerala recipes Malayalam and correctly place them on the banana leaf. And I proudly present to my family what I learned, loved and cherished during my childhood onam days. And would like to share them here through my cooking videos Malayalam
Join me as I take a trip down this delightfully aromatic culinary lane while I explain the different dishes that I still prepare for the Onam sadya feast. A little peek into the history of each of the dishes, if possible.
The history of the Onam Sadya
We all know about the benevolent King Mahabali, and how much he loved and cared for all his people that he wished to come back from the bowels of the earth every year to visit them. Mahabali prides in seeing his people leading happy lives, without any lies or deceit, as the Onam song goes. Onam is celebrated and Onam sadya is prepared to welcome the great king with the humility, love and respect that he deserves. When he sees his people living in prosperity and in harmony he goes back pleased and happy. Who prepares such large feasts for meals other than the prosperous ones?
The sadya marks the abundance of the harvest season
Onam is celebrated to mark the abundance and diversity of the harvest season. And one of the highlights of the festival is the meticulously prepared sadya served on a banana leaf. In our house, the sadya was served on the floors because our family was so huge, and we had a lot of people for the feast. The ladies of the house worked through the mornings in a frenzy getting all the dishes ready for the mighty feast. All of us will then sit together cross legged on the floors and have the feast together, marking the sense of equality and unity that King Mahabali always wanted.
Now to the main item on our blog menu – the Cooking Videos Malayalam sadya recipes and their history
Kaalan A delectable yoghourt-based curry with vegetables
Kaalan is a rich thick gravy curry made from yoghurt and raw plantains or yams. This vegetable is cut into small pieces, then simmered in coconut and seasoned with spices. Kaalan is also known as Kurukku Kaalan because of its rich consistency and its lip-smacking tangy taste. This dish can be prepared a few days before Onam sadya because it has a very good shelf life.
Quick recipe of the dish:
Whisk curd well. Cook your vegetable of choice (raw plantains or yams) with salt and turmeric powder. Grind the ingredients once they are cooked, and then boil them followed by coconut mix, pepper powder and fenugreek powder. Add the whisked curd, and then season them.
Olan – A simple yet flavorful dish made with ash gourd and coconut milk
The tangy taste of the kaalan is balanced by the subtle flavours of the olan. It is an important dish for the sadya, and combines well with all varieties of rice. Olan is an easy dish to prepare, so you can easily have it for Onam.
Quick recipe of the dish:
Olan is prepared using cowpeas, ash gourd or pumpkin and coconut milk as the main ingredients. You can flavour the dish with green chillies according to your spice levels. Once you cook the medium size cut ash gourd or pumpkin in the thin, second milk, you can add the thick first milk and season it with curry leaves and a sprinkle of coconut oil.
Pulissery – A tangy buttermilk curry with ripe mangoes or vegetables
There are so many different variations of the Pulissery in cooking videos Malayalam, and you can choose the one that appeals to you the most. Pulissery can be made with ripe mangoes, ripe bananas, yoghurt and coconut. Some people make it as it is without any vegetables. Just plain. The different ingredients of the dish makes it a flavour explosion in your mouth. It is a gravy curry, nothing too thick or rich, but definitely creamy.
Quick recipe of the dish:
The dish is made with spiced buttermilk and has sweet and sour gravy made with creamy yoghurt and flavourful coconut. You can add cooked bananas or mangoes while the gravy is being prepared, and add a special seasoning of cumin, fenugreek, chillies, curry leaves and turmeric.
Avial – A mixed vegetable dish cooked in a coconut and yoghurt-based gravy
Avial is another main dish of the Onam sadya. It said that the avial was discovered by the great Pandava Bhim during the Pandava exile, and when they were living in King Virat’s kingdom. Bhim was the kitchen chef, and he was forced to prepare a dish with minimal ingredients as the king had some unexpected guests. The dish eventually became hugely popular and secured a prominent spot in the banana leaf ever since.
Quick recipe of the dish:
The Avial is made with a harmonious blend of vegetables, mainly carrots, yam, brinjal, beans, pumpkin, and drumsticks. This medley of vegetables is then cooked with coconut, masalas, yoghurt, made into a thick stew, and then seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and coconut oil.
Eriserry – A creamy curry made with lentils and pumpkin or yam
Erissery is a traditional Kerala dish, made with a combination of vegetables, legumes and coconut. The light sweet tones of the dish is hugely popular, making it a must during Onam feast. The dish can be made with pumpkin, raw papaya or yam. There will be pulses like green gram, red gram or cowpea added along with this dish, making it yummy and wholesome.
Quick recipe of the dish:
Cook your dal or pulse. You can then chop your choice of vegetable and cook it along with the dal or pulse. Add coconut tempered with mild spices and let it simmer till the flavours blend. You can then season it using coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and grated coconut. The dish is super easy to cook and can be prepared on the day of Onam.
Kootu Curry – A delicious mix of vegetables, lentils, and spices in a coconut gravy
The ‘koottu’ curry has its origins in Tamil Nadu, and the word ‘koottu’ means ‘add’ or ‘mix’. The dish is noted for its nutty and complex flavour and texture. The liberal addition of lentils, an assortment of vegetables and coconut adds to the zest of this dish. You can make this curry in a semi-solid consistency.
Quick recipe of the dish:
You need plenty of vegetables for preparing this dish. I prepare the dish using yam, ash gourd, carrots, snake gourd, pumpkin or plantains, followed by either chickpeas or chana dal. Once you cook all the veggies, you can add ground coconut mix, cooked chickpeas and jaggery as well. Season it with mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, urad dal and coconut oil. Check out my Cooking videos malayalam for more recipes.
Sambar – The quintessential South Indian lentil soup loaded with vegetables and spices
Sambar has a very long history that dates back to the Maratha empire during the 17th century, according to legends. It is said that Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Bhonsale made the dish himself when his head cook took the day off. He loves his concoction, and named it sambar.
Eventually Sambar came to be a famous flavourful lentil and vegetable stew. Another legend has it that the dish was first created in the kitchen of Shahaji and when Chhatrapati Sambhaji visited him, he was treated to this dish, hence the name Sambar. Some believe that Sambar is intrinsic to Tamil Nadu cuisine. Whatever the history, there are so many variations of the Sambar that you can try once you know the basic ingredients.
Quick recipe of the dish:
Sambar is a spicy, tangy dish that you can prepare with toor dal and an assortment of vegetables including carrots, beans, ladies finger, potatoes, drumstick and you can adjust the vegetables according to your choice. Once the dal and the vegetables are cooked and simmered, along with asafoetida, you can season the dish with sambar powder, curry leaves, coconut oil and cumin seeds. Make sure to add the tamarind pulp to your liking when you cook the vegetables.
Rasam – A flavorful tomato-based soup infused with tamarind and spices
Rasam, meaning ‘juice’ , has an ancient history as well. It is said that the gut-friendly recipe was introduced by a cook named Karunas in Madurai during the Sourashtra period in the 16th Century. The dish was prepared to appease the king’s son when he became unwell and refused to eat anything. It is considered the classic South Indian comfort food and can be consumed as a drink or mixed with rice. Some people call rasam as Pulichar. This steaming bowl of dark goodness is a must have for every sadya.
Quick recipe of the dish:
Tamarind pulp is the main ingredient in Rasam. It is prepared as a broth-like soup with tomato curry leaves and lime, with a fair amount of salt, pepper and plenty of water. You can season it with ginger, garlic, asafoetida, fenugreek and mustard at the end.
Pachadi – A sweet-sour raita-like dish made with curd and fruits or vegetables
Pachadi is a traditional fresh pickle served in Kerala and other parts of South India. It is believed that the dish, Pachadi evolved during the reign of Raja Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, both famous patrons of cuisine and culture. This spicy, tangy, delicious dish is a must for every spicy. The pachadi can be made in various variations and with vegetables like cucumber, beetroot, etc.
Quick recipe of the dish:
You can use either beetroot or cucumber to prepare the pachadi. Ground it with chilies and fenugreek and mustard seeds with your choice of greens (herbs) added. This will give it that distinct taste.And finally, with a hearty use of curd to give it that delectable, tangy-sour taste.
Payasam / Pradhaman – Traditional Kerala dessert made from rice, jaggery, and coconut milk
The choice of payasams is absolutely yours. However, you can have both milk and jaggery payasams to render a different kind of taste to the sadya payasams. Semiya payasam, ada payasam, paal payasam, payar payasam, parippu payasam were all made and relished with great fervour during our Onam sadya every year. If you are time-strapped, you can prepare any of these, and enjoy your feast.
No sadya is ever complete without the pappadams. The rotund crispy pappadams were once considered a luxury that only the rich people were served. But not any more. Now you can see pappadams in almost every Kerala traditional meal. Did you know? The holy manuscripts of the Buddhist-Jain era mention the pappadam in 500 BC.
The science of serving the dishes on the banana leaf
My family was very particular about placing the banana leaf and I am sure every Kerala family follows suit. The tapering portion (tip) of the banana leaf is placed on the left side of the person, and the curries are served left to right. On the upper left corner of the leaf, you have an explosion of pickles and on the left bottom corner, you have salt, banana chips and sharkara varatti. Now for the main dishes. You can serve the erissery, avial, thoran, pachadi, kichadi and kaalan. The different payasams will be placed in small cups on the top left corner of the leaf. On the other side, you have rasam and buttermilk. Learn more about them in Kalavara, my Kerala recipes Malayalam channel.
The rice is served only after the person seats in front of the banana leaf. Sit cross legged on the floor, facing east and eat your food hot because that will aid in better digestion. It is believed that serving the curries hot on the banana leaf will help in invoking the different flavours of the various dishes.
The onam sadya represents cultural cohesion present in Kerala, because the people have warmly welcomed and adopted dishes from other parts of the country. Let’s celebrate the yearly homecoming of the mighty king with a lavish feast this year. Are you ready?
