Falling in the month of ‘Chingam,’ Malayalam Calendar’s first month, Onam is celebrated by the Hindus of Kerala in South India. Onam Festival too has huge amounts of food involved in its festivities, the most special being the all-vegetarian Onam Sadhya. Here, I have shared a signature compilation of Onam Recipes that are also a part of the lavish feast sadya. Most of these recipes are easy and can easily made at home.
The significance of Onam Festival is varied, of which some important ones are – one, that it is the annual harvest festival and second, that it celebrates the homecoming of the asura king Mahabali from paatal lok (the netherworlds) followed from the subsequent appearance of an avatar of Lord Vishnu, Vamana. In 2023, the main day of Onam Festival is on August 29.
Table of Contents
Significance of Onam
Onam Festival is a 10-day festival. The last day being the main day of celebrations. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it is the rice harvest festival and is also celebrated to welcome back one of the most loved kings of Kerala, King Mahabali.
The kind of prosperity and happiness that was witnessed in his reign remains unmatched. He was banished to the netherworld by Lord Vishnu’s avatar Vamana (a short Brahmin), yet he got a boon that he could visit his subjects once a year.
Thus, Onam becomes a festival of welcoming the king back, and the ambience of the festival is the same as it was during his reign.
Feasting with the magnificent spread of the Onam Sadhya, along with other special Onam Recipes and much merriment marks the day, in Kerala and in any part of the world a Malayali resides.
The most significant part about this Malayalam festival is that it spread the message of peace and solidarity, and is a unifying factor for not just all Malayalis residing in the picturesque state of Kerala but also for people of all other religions there.
Onam Rituals
Although the last day of Onam Festival is considered the most noteworthy, but still all the other 9 days also hold some or the other importance and significance.
The most interesting part about the festivities is the ‘pookkalam’ – the typical designs and patterns made with flowers on the ground by women – very symbolic of Onam Festival.
Next most specific thing that symbolizes this festival is the delicious, hearty and a completely vegetarian feast of ‘Onam Sadya’ served on plantain or banana leaves.
A variety of Onam Recipes, comprising of curries, dry veggie dishes, rice, accompaniments and desserts are prepared and served in this meal.
In addition to these, people adorn themselves with new clothes and also gift each other the same in a customary tradition known as the ‘onakkodi.’
Then, there is the famous snake boat race or ‘vallamkali,’ which is a huge event organized in Kerala during this festival.
More of rituals include the decoration of elephants with ornaments, various cultural activities like music, art, Kathakali and the iconic Pulikali dance.
The Pulikali dance is a traditional form of folk-dance form in which dancers represent tigers by painting themselves in yellow and black.
Onam Sadhya
In Malayalam language, ‘sadhya’ or ‘sadya’ means a ‘banquet.’ So, a classic Onam Sadhya is essentially a 9-course vegetarian meal with about 26 to 28 dishes that is served on a banana leaf during the Onam Festival as well as other religious occasions and weddings too.
The Onam Recipes that make up the sadya actually depict all flavours of food, and is savoured by everyone, without any barriers.
I have had the opportunity of relishing a full-fledged Onam Sadhya meal, a couple of times. In this collection, I have shared Onam Recipes that are made for the sadya during Onam Festival.
There are variations and some or the other dishes may be interchanged, depending from individual to individual. But the essence remains the same. The dishes are also served in a particular order and not randomly.
Onam Recipes
Also, before the recipes, here’s this mighty food spread, decoded for you:
- Parippu Vadai – Fried lentil patties also commonly called Dal Vada
- Ulundu Vadai – Donut shaped fried lentil fritters popularly known as Medu Vada
- Parippu Curry – Moong lentils curry with coconut, pearl onions and spices
- Moru Curry – Also referred to as Kachiya Moru is tempered buttermilk made with or without veggies.
- Thoran – A delicious sautéed or stir-fried preparation of vegetables made in coconut oil with plenty of coconut.
- Malli Chammanthi – Herby coriander chutney made with coconut and some more spices.
- Thakkali Chammanthi – Tangy and spiced tomato chutney.
- Thenga Chammanthi – Thick coconut chutney
- Ulli Theeyal – Pearl onions or small shallots in spiced coconut-tamarind sauce.
- Avial – Mixed vegetables in a coconut and yogurt sauce
- Mangai Pachadi – Sweet and sour mango relish
- Kootu Curry – Various mixed vegetables and lentils made with coconut and spices.
- Pachadi – Tempered raita made with curd or yogurt with or without vegetables.
- Pappadum or papad
- Mulaku Kondattum – Curd and salt soaked and sun-dried red chilies which are deep fried.
- Kalan – Yam or plantain or both cooked with yogurt and coconut.
- Sambar – Lentils and vegetable stew.
- Olan – Simple yet delicious curry that is made with ash gourd a.k.a white pumpkin and red cowpeas in a base of coconut milk, a few spices and herbs.
- Steamed red rice
- Pal Payasam – Creamy rice kheer made with milk.
- Sakrai Upperi – Jaggery coated fried sweet banana chips
- Chakka Upperi – Fried jackfruit chips
- Pazham Upperi – Salted banana chips made with the variety of banana called nendram pazham in Malayalam.
- Unniyappam – Sweet appam made with jaggery and wheat flour.
- Naranga Achar – Salty and spicy lemon pickle
- Inji curry – Spiced tangy ginger curry
- Manga Achar – Mango pickle
- Ghee or nei/ney
- Uppu or salt
- Pazham or banana
Preparation
Preparing all Onam Recipes for any sadya takes a lot of time. So, you can start the day before, chop the vegetables required for the various dishes and refrigerate them.
Grate coconut and keep in the freezer. In some of the recipes, ground paste of coconut, cumin and green chilies is used. So, you can grind this together and then use it in parts for the required recipe.
If possible, do take help while preparing the Onam Sadhya, as it does take a lot of time. Also make small portions if you are a family of 3 to 4 people, as there will be leftovers the next day.
In a few recipes I have used onion and garlic. But if you don’t use them, you can skip them or skip making the recipes where onion is the hero ingredient.
There are sambar recipes which will require a sambar powder. I would suggest to refer this Sambar Powder to make your own at home and use it in these Onam Recipes for an enhanced flavor.
If you have some of the leftover pachadi from this Onam Sadya, then you can have it with some steamed rice paired with Rasam or parippu, the next day.
Payasams or South Indian style kheers is what dominates this Onam Recipes list. And most of them require coconut milk as one of the main ingredients.
So, the best thing to do is to refer this How To Make Coconut Milk post and use the homemade one in your recipes. If at all, you can’t, then use a good branded one.
Popular Sadhya Recipes
Kootu Curry | Koottukari Recipe
Parippu Curry | Lentil Curry
Olan Recipe
Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry
Cabbage Thoran | Cabbage Fry
Varutharacha Sambar
Kerala Sambar
Milagu Rasam | Pepper Rasam
Avial Recipe
Ulli Theeyal
Mathanga Erissery | Pumpkin Erissery Recipe
Moru Curry | Pulissery
Beetroot Thoran
Majjiga | Sambaram | Neer Mor
Pineapple Pachadi
Banana Fry | Aratikaya Fry
Ash Gourd Recipe | Ash Gourd Thoran
Beans Thoran Recipe
Medu Vada Recipe | Sambar Vada
Dal Vada | Masala Vada | Parippu Vada
Instant Mango Pickle | Manga Achar | Kadumanga Achar
Naranga Achar (Kerala Lemon Pickle)
Vellarikka pachadi | Cucumber pachadi
Sweets and Snacks
Sweet Appam | Banana Appam
Unniyappam Recipe | Unni Appam
Kerala Banana Chips
Paal Payasam | Rice Payasam
Paruppu Payasam | Moong Dal Payasam
Aval Payasam
Chana Dal Payasam | Kadalai Paruppu Payasam
Semiya Payasam Recipe
Jackfruit Payasam | Chakka Payasam
This collection of Onam Sadhya recipes from the archives, originally published in September 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.
Good site… I use to refer your site whenever i try any new dish. But this app is not that much easily accessible… While reading some recipe suddenly page goes up… Not a single time it’s happening every time when i opens the app. Plz look after this matter and rectify it. Otherwise we have only option from laptop…
Thanks Vani for your positive feedback on recipes. Will look into the App issue. Could you tell whether you are using android app or iOS App. and is the latest updated version of App?
good information about onam recipes. I like this, because very yummy and delicious.
thanks.
Very useful recipes.thanks for sharing. little more explanation needed for some of the dishes.
thanks. will try to add.
Please I would like to not get daily updates how can this stop?
Kimberly, when you get an update then on the update icon, there is a small settings icon. click on it and it will show all your websites subscription list. you can block from there. this is for chrome. for other browsers you have to search in google.