7 Dishes To Relish In An Onam Sadya

By Suprita Mitter

September 1, 2024

Onam Sadya is a grand vegetarian feast celebrated in Kerala during Onam. Served on a banana leaf, it includes a variety of dishes that blend sweet, spicy, and tangy flavours. This elaborate meal showcases Kerala's rich cultural heritage and the abundance of the harvest season.

Kootu Curry

Kootu Curry is a traditional Kerala dish made from a combination of chickpeas, black gram, and vegetables such as yam and raw plantains. 

Olan

Olan is a light and delicate dish made with white pumpkin (ash gourd) and cowpeas, cooked in a mildly spiced coconut milk base. This dish is known for its simplicity, both in preparation and flavour profile.

Thoran

Thoran is a dry stir-fry dish made from finely chopped vegetables such as cabbage, beans, carrots, or beetroot, mixed with grated coconut, turmeric, and green chillies.

Pachadi

Pachadi is a sweet and tangy dish made with vegetables or fruits such as beetroot, cucumber, pineapple, or ripe mango, cooked in a yoghurt and coconut base. 

Avial

Avial is a delicious  medley of vegetables like carrots, beans, raw bananas, and drumsticks, cooked in a thick, yoghurt-based coconut gravy. 

Erissery

Erissery is a quintessential Onam dish made from a combination of vegetables such as pumpkin and black-eyed peas, cooked with a coconut-based gravy. 

Payasam

No Onam Sadya is complete without Payasam, a traditional Kerala style Kheer made from rice, lentils, or vermicelli, cooked in milk or coconut milk and sweetened with jaggery or sugar.