The festival of Onam is a time to spend with near and dear ones. The Malayalees who reside far away generally attempt to travel back home during this festival. Even if it's just for a day to catch up with family and friends and have a nice home-cooked meal. In Kerala, Sadya has several regional variations. The feast is primarily vegetarian in the state's southern and central districts. However, many in the northern districts favour consuming non-vegetarian meals alongside other sadya recipes. A great range of Non-vegetarian native dishes is part of it, particularly in a few pockets of the state.
No wonder the demand for fish and chicken soars around this festival. The sadya is traditionally cooked by women, and for the exhaustive spread, they begin the preparation at least a month before the celebration. This festive feast is highly revered in Malayalam culture. An old Malayalam proverb provides insight into it: "Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam". It roughly translates to: Even one had to sell their prized possessions to attend, one must make it to the Onam feast.
Thattukada Kozhi Porichathu
This can be the perfect appetiser or nonveg starter on your sadya platter. Also called Kerala Thattukada style chicken fry-kozhi porichathu, it is a popular street food/thattukada. In this dish, the chicken gets a bursting fieriness that comes from a number of spices. There is also an undertone of tang, which adds to its tempting taste.
Thenga Aracha Meen Curry
It means fish simmered and cooked in coconut paste. Usually, salmon or any other fish fillets are used, which are cleaned and soaked in tamarind water. It is then cooked with sliced shallots, minced ginger and garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and coconut oil. The finishing touch is given with freshly grated and pasted coconut.
Mutta roast
Mutta or egg roast is one of the most prevalent yet simple dishes. One can spot it almost in every Kerala breakfast spread. Unlike the mutta or Kerala-style egg curry, tomatoes are utilised instead of coconut milk to create a lovely, tangy gravy. Boiled eggs are used along with ingredients such as thinly sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. The boiled eggs are cut into halves to prepare this dish.
Varutharacha Meen Curry
In the southern parts of Kerala, fish is frequently prepared in a stew made from roasted coconuts. This delicacy is called Varutharacha Meen Curry. Spices and grated coconut are fried before being crushed to a paste, and it is used along with fish tamarind (Kudam Puli) to prepare the fish. This curry is delicious thanks to the roasted coconut and spices. Compared to the typical Kottayam-style fish curry, it has an entirely different flavour. The gravy is rich and aromatic.
Erachi ulathiyathu
It means beef fry. The recipe for Kerala Beef Fry has numerous variations. Basically, it differs from one place to another. Beef Ularthiyathu and Beef Olathiyathu/Ulathiyathu are two different names for the dish. Marinating and cooking the beef is the standard process, whatever the term or method used to prepare a beef fry. The meat is cooked in a pan until it is scorched. For the Nadan Beef Fry, coconut oil and coconut slices are typically employed.
Give your Onam Sadya a nonvegetarian touch with these culinary fares.