Special Thanks to Mr Potti and his team at Taste Of Kerala, 305 London Road, Croydon, CR0 3PA
Soundtrack: “East of Tunesia” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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East of Tunesia by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC Attribution 3.0.
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© 2007 Kevin MacLeod
Onam (Malayalam: ഓണം) is a festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. It is also the state festival of Kerala with State holidays on 4 days starting from Onam Eve (Uthradom) to the 3rd Onam Day.
The festival falls during the Malayalam month of Chingam (Aug – Sep). Onam is reminiscent of Kerala’s agrarian past, as it is considered to be a harvest festival.
Sadhya (Malayalam: സദ്യ, Sanskrit: सग्धिः, Sagdhiḥ) is a variety of vegetarian dishes traditionally served on a bananaleaf in Kerala, India. Sadhya means banquet in Malayalam. It is a feast prepared mainly by men, especially when needed in large quantities, for weddings and other special events like Onam.
The main dish is plain boiled rice, served along with other dishes collectively called Kootan (കൂട്ടാന്) which include curries like Parippu, Sambar, Rasam, Pulisseri and others like Kaalan, Avial, Thoran, Olan, Pachadi, Mango pickle,Naranga curry, as well as Papadum, Banana, plain Yogurt or Buttermilk, and plantain chips. The traditional dessert calledPayasam served at the end of the meal is of many kinds and usually three or more are served. The ‘Kootan’ are made with different vegetables and have different flavours; some say the reason for including so many dishes in the Sadhya is to ensure that the diners will like at least two or three dishes.
Rice : Its the main item in a sadhya. It is always the Kerala red rice (semi-polished brown[2]) which is used for the Sadhya
Sharkara Upperi: Jaggery Chips
Kaaya Varuthathu : Banana Chips
Parippu : A thick curry lentil dish eaten with rice, papadum and ghee.
Sambar : A thick gravy made of lentils, tamarind, vegetables like drumsticks, tomato, etc., and flavored with asafoetida.
Rasam : A watery dish made of tamarind, tomatoes, and spices like black pepper, asafoetida, coriander, chili pepper, etc. It is very spicy in taste and aids in digestion. Although in some regions Rasam is not counted as part of Sadhya.
Aviyal : Thick mixture of various vegetables, and coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.
Kaalan : Made of yogurt, coconut, and any one vegetable like “nendran” plantain or a tuber-like yam. It is very thick and more sour
Olan : A preparation of pumpkin, coconut milk, and ginger seasoned with coconut oil.
Koottukari / Erissery : One or two vegetables like banana and coconut with a hot and sweet taste.
Kichadi : Made of yogurt and cucumber in raw or cooked form.
Pachadi : A sweet form of kichadi, but made with pineapple, grapes and coconut.
Puliyinchi : A dish of paste like consistency made of ginger, tamarind, green chilies, and jaggery.
Thoran : A dish of sauted vegetables such as peas, green beans, raw jackfruit, carrots, or cabbage (usually) with grated coconut.
Achaar : Spicy pickles of raw mango, lemon, lime, etc.
Pappadam: Made with lentil flour, it is crispy and can be eaten as an appetizer.
These side dishes are followed by desserts like Prathaman and Payasams.
Credit: YouTube
