What is Onam? Onam stands as a South Indian festival rejoicing in the harvest. It involves the preparation of an array of traditional vegetarian foods, presented on a spotless Banana leaf. The customary Onam banquet is enjoyed while seated on the ground. During this occasion, individuals adorn themselves in Onam clothing, characterized by white and gold sarees for women and white and gold mundu for men.
Usually, the meal comprises Rice accompanied by an assortment of vegetarian dishes. This blog post will guide you on crafting an impressive Onam Sadhya by yourself, leaving a lasting impression on your family and friends. Now, a bit of background: I found myself in Luxembourg, a small country surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. As an interesting tidbit, we would embark on 30-minute drives to France for KFC and to Belgium for Ikea. Now, residing in Luxembourg with a relatively small Malayalee population, locating restaurants serving the Onam Feast became nearly impossible. With Onam quickly approaching, I had to either create my own Onam Sadhya or go without. After numerous trials and errors, I’ve curated recipes from various chefs, and their links will be shared below. While most of these recipes are easy to follow, they are in Malayalam; however, the creators have provided the recipes in English in the description boxes beneath their videos.
I’m sharing my trusted playlist of Onam recipes that I’ve been using for the past 3 years.
You can either take on the challenge of preparing all the dishes over 2 days (major kudos to you!) or spread it out over a few weeks. I recall when I started this journey 3 years ago, I would distribute the preparation over a month. For instance, I’d make sambar and divide it into 2 portions (one for freezing until Onam day, and the other for refrigeration to enjoy throughout the week) – it was a win-win strategy in my view. A few days later, I’d tackle dal, followed by Avial, and so forth. This approach prevents feeling overwhelmed by the cooking process.
To begin, planning is key, and here’s a list of the dishes we’ll be serving this year and when we intend to make them. You can use this as a general guideline. I’ll be making sambar, dal, and Avial well in advance and freezing them. Ingi curry is somewhat akin to a pickle, so it can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Sambar
- Dal
- Kachiya mooru
- Avial
- Cherupayar thoran
- Cabbage thoran
- Pineapple pachadi
- Beet root pachadi
- Ingi curry
- cherupayar Payasam
- Pickle
- Pappad
- Banana chips
- Salt
- Banana
- Ghee
- Jaggery
From the provided list, only the first 10 items require cooking. The remaining are store-bought. Here is how I am going to plan my cooking so I am not overwhelmed by it.
Recipes
Here is my well-tested recipe collection on YouTube that I’ve relied on for the past 3 years! 🙂 My aim is to spare you the effort and frustration of searching online for recipes.
- Sambar
I haven’t come across a simple sambar video recipe on YouTube yet. I’ve observed that most videos split the process by pressure cooking dal and vegetables separately, while I prefer pressure cooking everything together.
Here’s the written recipe for my method.To create sambar, begin by pressure cooking an assortment of vegetables along with half cup of dal. I typically opt for potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes, resulting in a flavorful sambar that even the kids enjoy. Pressure cook the dal and vegetables with a touch of salt and a pinch of turmeric for about 3-4 whistles. In a frying pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start crackling, incorporate dried red chilies followed by onions until they turn fully cooked or translucent. Mix in 3 heaped tablespoons of Eastern Sambar masala and cook. Afterward, add a tomato with a pinch of salt to prevent the masala from scorching. Combine the fried masala with the pressure cooker contents, along with a handful of tamarind soaked in boiling water. Allow the entire mixture to boil for approximately 5 minutes.
2) Dal
3)Avial
4) Ingi curry (Ginger curry)
5)Kachiya Mooru
6) Cabbage thoran
7) Cherupayar thoran
8) Pineapple pachadi
9) Beet root pachadi
10) Payasam
In conclusion, these are the delightful Onam Sadhya recipes I wanted to share. May they bring the flavors and spirit of Onam to your table. Enjoy the festive feast!
