Happy Onam 2019: Onam Sadhya has 20-25 dishes and is served on banana leaf.
Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, is being celebrated among the Malayali community. On this day, people decorate their houses with pookalams - a decoration of flowers; wear new clothes, organise cultural programmes, get-togethers and feast on special feast - Onam Sadhya.
Onam Sadhya has 20-25 dishes ranging from appetisers, main course, desserts and sides like pickles, buttermilk, rasam etc. The elaborate meal is served on a banana leaf. Enjoy the lavish Malayali spread. Happy Onam!
Happy Onam 2019: Here is a look at what Onam Sadhya includes:
- Choru (boiled rice)
- Kaaya varuthatha (banana chips)
- Sharkara Varatti (fried pieces of banana coated with jaggery)
- Chenna varuthatha (yam cut into slices and fried with spices)
- Pulinji or Injipuli (tamarind-based chutney)
- Kichadi (gourd, okra or cucumber in a yoghurt curry)
- Pachadi (pineapple or bitter gourd in yoghurt)
- Puliserry (made with curd and a choice of vegetable)
- Kootu curry (black chickpeas curry)
- Olan (ash gourd with beans in a thick coconut milk gravy)
- Stir-fried vegetables with grated coconut
- Theeyal (mixed vegetable gravy)
- Erissery (mashed beans and pumpkin with coconut gravy)
- Avial (vegetables made with coconut and milk)
- Moru (spicy buttermilk)
- Pickles both sweet and sour
- Papad
- Bananas
- Sambar
- Rasam
- Payasam (various varieties)
Onam, the 10-day festival, began on September 1, and will continue till September 13. Onam marks the annual homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali - the grandson of Prahlada. On Thiru Onam, the second day of Onam today, it is believed that King Mahabali pays a visit to people's homes. The other days are Uthraadam (September 10), Avittam (September 12) and Chathayam (September 13). Onam celebrations continue for the next couple of days with snake boat races, Pulikkali tiger play, and Kerala Tourism's Onam Week program.