Rooted in the cultural mythology of Kerala, the Onam sadya has an intricate connection to King Mahabali – the ruler of the land, who, as scriptures suggest, was known for his generosity and and righteous governance. Each year, as the harvest festival comes around, his ‘subjects’ commemorate the time with celebratory activities like making flower arrangements, worshipping clay pyramids and throwing a grand feast. Amongst all of these activities, it is the sadya that has grown to become popular as a culinary phenomenon that has piqued the interest of people across India.
Given how the sadya is more than just a meal served on the banana leaf, each component is thoughtfully planned, served and must be enjoyed a certain way. The significance of each dish that features on the sadya is also backed by the ancient science of Ayurveda, that prescribes each meal to have a balance of all six flavours. Moreover, while the sadya served on Onam holds a special place even in Kerala, in its essence a sadya is really any kind of celebratory meal eaten on special occasions. Feasting is a key aspect to Indian traditions as food is also tied to geographic conditions, crop cycles, changing weather and what comes authentically to a community. Two women – both aces in Kerala cuisine in their own right – talk to Slurrp about why the sadya is an important benchmark of traditional culinary practices in Kerala.
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Jayam (Amma)
Author: Palakkad Palate
The Onam sadya is so popular all over Kerala that even the poor will make a point to celebrate on the day. I remember collecting flowers for the pookalam in my childhood, on my way back home and decorate the inside as well as the outside of our homes. The sadya these days has evolved because food items are readily available in shops beforehand and sold, for people to take back home. However, the original tradition would involve preparing fresh food at home, which would take days to prepare. Onam is considered to be the day when King Mahabali visits the homes of his people to see whether they are happy or not, and so it was only appropriate to prepare a grand feast on the occasion. Unlike the sadya feasts served at weddings or other gatherings meant for specific sets of people, Onam sadya is a meal that is open for everyone to enjoy; so much so that I saw a video of a group of people eating a sadya feast on a local train in Mumbai.
Marina Balakrishnan
Chef, Oottupura
What my understanding of the sadya is that it is one of the most elaborate, temple-oriented meals in Keralite tradition. Since the best way to celebrate any kind of event is food, this has evolved into a customary element. Keeping in tradition with Keralite culture, whatever is available during the harvest season is what goes into the sadya meal. You will see a lot of vegetables being used, along with coconut, yoghurt and bananas, that are prepared in different ways. Yams, white pumpkin and other root vegetables are ingredients that are sourced locally; none of the ingredients are such that need to be procured by going out of the way. Similarly, coconut is used in different textures – whether it is blended, roasted or extracted for milk. The food is very mildly spiced and is meant to be consumed with a certain amount of sanctity. When you come to think of it, everything that you see in a sadya banana leaf is very ordinary and cultivated on the land surrounding the habitats of people. Over time, the sadya has been modified a lot and the number of dishes have increased on the plate – as a way of making a statement at weddings and special occasions. I also learned of the non-vegetarian sadya that has become popular in the Malabar and Kumarakom regions, where fish and chicken dishes are also served. However, the intent of the sadya is to feed as many stomachs as possible and it is meant to nurture a communal spirit. The way Onam is celebrated among all communities in Kerala, Christmas is also celebrated by the Hindus in the state. While adapting the sadya for an urban crowd, I’ve been told even by non-vegetarians about how much they enjoyed the all-vegetarian spread and how much they appreciate the traditionality of the meal.