Onam is around the corner and I’m beyond excited! Being a Malayali, Onam is an important part of my culture, and also one of my favorite festivals. I can never have enough of Onam sadhya, or as a true Malayali would say – ‘onasadhya’! It is a traditional vegetarian feast of over 25 dishes served on a banana leaf.
If you are not familiar with Onam, read about the legend behind this popular Indian festival here, and how it is usually celebrated in India and abroad. Don’t forget to scroll down for a collection of my Onam sadhya recipes!
What is Onam?
Onam is an annual harvest festival celebrated in Kerala , a beautiful coastal state in southern India. Though it is a Hindu festival, it is celebrated by Keralites all over the world, irrespective of their religious or social backgrounds. It is celebrated in the Malayalam calendar month of Chingam, which usually falls in August or September every year. The festival begins on the Atham day, and ends on the tenth day, known as Thiruvonam. The last day is also the most auspicious day during the festival of Onam, and is when the spectacular Onam Sadhya is served.
The Onam story
There are different legends behind the significance of Onam. One of the most commonly known (and the one I grew up hearing) is that of King Mahabali – a mythical demon king who was kind-hearted and much loved by the people of Kerala. ‘Maveli’, as his subjects fondly called him, had come to power by defeating the gods. Seeing how popular he was, the gods wanted to defeat him. They approached Vishnu (the Hindu god of preservation and protection) to help them. Vishnu refused to kill Maveli because he was a good ruler and his own devotee. Instead, he transformed into a dwarf avatar ‘Vamana’ and visited Maveli when he was celebrating his victories by giving away gifts. When his turn came, Vamana asked for “three steps of land”. As soon as his wish was granted, Vamana grew in size to a giant, and took up everything Maveli ruled over in just two steps. For the third step, Maveli offered his head to be stepped on. Vishnu accepted this act as evidence of his devotion, and granted Maveli a favor to visit his kingdom once every year. His revisit is celebrated every year as Onam. The 10-day festival is a reminder of the time Maveli ruled over Kerala without discrimination and of the promise he kept with Vishnu.
Onam celebrations and sadhya
Onam is one of the busiest and liveliest times of the year in Kerala. There are boat races (vallamkali), floral carpets (pookkalam), cultural programs, sports events, music, dance, martial arts, and a multitude of activities and celebrations! People wear traditional costumes that are off-white in colour with a contrasting golden border (kasavu). The streets are decorated with colorful lights, and there are Onam-special discounts and sales in almost every shop! I love everything about Onam, but what I love the most is Onam sadhya!
Having spent most of my childhood in Kuwait, Onam celebrations included performing kaikottikali and attending cultural events organized by Malayalee associations. Kaikottikali or Thiruvathirakali is a popular regional group dance in which women gather in a circle, clap and dance to folk songs praising Maveli. At these Onam events in Kuwait, the performers were also given complimentary sadhya, which was really the main reason I performed. 🙂 What better motivation can one have to dance! When it comes to Onam sadhya, there’s never ‘too many’! 😉
Amma (my mom) always prepares a grand sadhya for Onam. The pictures of the sadhya served on banana leaves here are from an Onam at home in Kuwait. Amma made ALL of those dishes, and my sister or I clicked the pictures (can’t remember now – signs I’m growing old!). Now that I have my own lil family, I try to make sadhya every Onam too. There’s at least one Kerala grocery store in most places abroad. So, sourcing banana leaves is usually not a huge problem. The leaves are generally imported or the stores have fake banana leaves made of laminated paper. (Oh yes, Malayalis do everything they can to enjoy Onam sadhya!) If for some reason I cannot prepare a sadhya, I find a Kerala restaurant that serves it!
Onam Sadhya Recipe Roundup
Here are recipes of some of the dishes I prepare for Onam. My mom is my source for all sadhya recipes. And trust me, her food is awesome! I will be adding to this collection from time-to-time. Hope you enjoy these dishes!
