Onam Sadhya - Grand vegetarian feast and Cornerstone of Kerala's cultural heritage

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Sadhya
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This year Onam starts on the day of Attham Nakshatram on 26th August, which is also Vinayak Chaturthi and culminating on Thiruvonam Nakshatram (5th September) . The Sadhya tradition evolved from feasts held in royal courts and temple festivals, eventually becoming a central part of Onam celebrations and weddings.

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While there are many variations of Sadhya, our favourite has been the Sadhya we had at Cafe Lota

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So what does a typical Sadhya consists of?

  1. Rasam- Spicy tamarind soup, sprinkled with curry leaves, mustard, and tomatoes.
  2. Moru- Yogurt-based curry enjoyed with or without coconut.
  3. Pappadam- Papad made of lentil flour.
  4. Banana-A whole ripe banana (Poovan Pazham variety)
  5. Salt
  6. Kaya Upperi- Fresh banana chips marinated, deep-fried in coconut oil, and lightly seasoned.
  7. Sharkara Upperi- A sweet version of banana chips made with jaggery.
  8. Naranga Achar- Tangy and spicy Kerala-style pickle made with lemons.
  9. Inji Curry (Pulinji) -Sweet and sour ginger chutney meant to be a digestive aid
  10. Erissery- Made with pumpkin, red beans, and grated coconut

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  1. Cucumber Khichdi- Made with spicy yogurt and a choice of vegetable - okra or cucumber.
  2. Avial- A serving of mixed vegetables with grated coconut, cooked in coconut oil and milk.
  3. Beetroot Pachadi- A chutney-style dish of beetroot, coconut, and mustard seeds.
  4. Pineapple Pulissery- Made with pineapples, coconut, curd, and whole spices.
  5. Beans Thoran- A vegetable dish made with beans and grated coconut.
  6. Cabbage Thoran-A vegetable dish made with cabbage and grated coconut.
  7. Kalan- Made with yogurt, yam/raw banana, and grated coconut.
  8. Olan- Made with ash gourd and red beans, splashed with coconut milk
  9. Chena Mezhukkupuratti- Stir-fry prepared by roasting yam/chena with spices, onions, and chili in coconut oil.
  10. Choru- Steamed Kerala Matta rice.

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  1. Ghee- Homemade pure ghee.
  2. Katti Parippu (Dal)- Moong dal topped with ghee and red chilies.
  3. Sambar- Cooked with an assortment of farm-fresh vegetables, this savory and tangy curry is made with lentil.
  4. Palada Payasam- A dessert made with milk, dry fruits, and rice ada.
  5. Parippu Payasam- Sweet treat made with moong dal, jaggery, and coconut milk.

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There are now ready to cook options too !

Onam Sadhya Pack-1
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Did you ever have a Sadhya? Please share in the comments below

@TravellerG and @Gurukrishnapriya … Hope you enjoy the post

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Thank you @curatorofmemory for the wonderful post with informative photo about Onam Sadhya.

Apart from Onam Sadhya, every Sadhya is same except Aranmulla Valla Sadhya (which is much greater & grand Sadhya).

I just had a sadhya today but for Keralathites, it’s much common to have a sadhya. Either at home, event or a restaurant, sadhya is commonly found in every corners of Kerala.

Do you know Sadhya is much different in different parts of Kerala? Way of serving the dish & dish itself varies from different regions of Kerala.

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@Rahul001 . Thank you. Was not aware of the regional variations. But nowadays in Delhi, many restaurants have started serving Sadhya during the Onam celebrations

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Thank you @curatorofmemory for sharing this wonderful post about onam sadhya.
Sadhya is very common for malayalis as they serve sadhya for each every event whether a marriage party or a birthday party.
As I’ve mentioned about your previous post on thalis (sadhya),it is served differently in different districts especially there is a very big difference in the serving style in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.

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Absolutely true. Kottayam has a reverse process of serving the sadhya like “Paripu” will be served last only.

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Thank you @Rahul001 that’s a very new information for me , i was not aware of that.

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@Gouri.PS Thank you for sharing this valuable information

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@Rahul001 @Gouri.PS Thanks. It is these differences that makes our culinary heritage so unique

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Serving and consuming food on a Banana leaf is common out here in MH as well.

We have a well-defined sequence of food that must be served in order from L-R, certain food must go on the top row, and other food on the bottom row on either side of the main vein of the leaf.

We also sometimes have fusion - N.Indian paneer food on banana leaves :face_savoring_food:

Nicely illustrated platter with the labels :+1:

Please read about the PolyPhenols in my post.

Eating on a Banana Leaf

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Wow @curatorofmemory what a mouthwatering post. Thank you very much for tagging me. Once I happened to have Sadaya near Kuruva islands, with almost 42 items. To my wonder I ate completely. The taste is still lingering in my mouth. I am actually a poot eater. When I see many items at a time, I feel my stomach full. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.

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@TusharSuradkar Thanks for this wonderful share

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@Gurukrishnapriya . Thanks for the comments

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The thali looks so tempting @curatorofmemory :face_savoring_food::face_savoring_food: thanks for sharing this traditional food of Kerala

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@ShreyaMusings . Thank you so much for your kind words

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Wonderful post @curatorofmemory very informative, that’s unique serving table with banana leaves.
Thanks for sharing.

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@fachrie230 . Thanks for your kind words

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Thank you for sharing this wonderful article about Onam Sadhya! @curatorofmemory
I’m a big fan of South Indian cuisine, and reading about this grand vegetarian feast makes my mouth water.

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@NareshDarji . Thank u so much for all the appreciation

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Wow.. great Onam Sadhya, dear @curatorofmemory
Nostalgic!
Your second photo with each item marked is a great idea - The best part is that you have used all native-names for these dishes -
Congratulations!
The Onam Sadhya pack photo is new for me and my wife.

To give you company, this is an Onam Sadhya spread on a banana leaf at home:

Onam celebration at BLR - (1)
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Hope you will like it.

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@TravellerG . Thank u so much for all appreciation and feedback. Has made my day

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