A Collection of Onam Sadya Recipes

This year Onam will be celebrated from September 6, 2017. Celebrated in Kerala as a 10-day festival of which the last 4 days are the most important. For me one of the most wonderful sights during Onam is the Pookalam or an elaborate rangoli made with flowers. One of the main tourist attractions in this season is the snake boat race, called Vallamkali, the most famous of which is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held near Alappuzha (Alleppey).

As with all Indian festivals, Onam is celebrated with a traditional meal called Onam Sadya or Onasadya. Here are a few Onam Sadya recipes that you could try:

• Curries and Stews
  • Mambhazha Puliserry – A buttermilk based stew with ripe mangoes. This dish can also be made with a whole lot of different vegetables such as red pumpkin and ash gourd.
  • Olan – A coconut milk based stew with pumpkin, as gourd, and cow peas.
  • Kalan – Yet another buttermilk based stew; this time with raw banana and yam.
  • Avial – A mixed vegetable stew cooked with a coconut-cumin-green chilli paste and yoghurt.
  • Beans and Carrot Thoran – Add some carrot to the beans thoran for a splash of colour and a touch of sweetness.
  • Cabbage Thoran – The perennial favourite among thorans.
  • Theeyal – You can make this with an assortment of vegetables such as bitter gourd, okra, and shallots.
• Chutneys and Pachadis
  • Puli Inji – A tangy chutney with ginger, tamarind, and jaggery.
  • Vendakka Kichadi – Fried okra in yogurt seasoned with coconut.
  • Pineapple Kichadi or Pineapple Pachadi – Cooked pineapple in coconut-spiced yogurt
  • Beetroot Thayir Pachadi – Cooked beetroot in coconut flavoured yogurt.
  • Nellikai Thayir Pachadi – Ground amla (Indian Gooseberry) in coconut-spiced yogurt.
• Payasam/Kheer/Dessert
  • Ela Neer Payasam – A wonderful dessert made with coconut water.
  • Pal Payasam – A traditional milk pudding.
  • Palada Payasam – A traditional milk pudding made with steamed rice flakes known as ada.
  • Ela Ada – A traditional sweet that is essentially rice flour parcel stuffed with coconut and jaggery filling.
  • Pasi Paruppu Payasam – A yummy moong dal payasam.
  • Kadalai Parippu Payasam – A delicious chana dal payasam made with coconut milk.