Things You Need to Know About Onam Sadhya
Onam festival is incomplete without Sadhya’s intricate meal, which can include so many recipes. This article helps you understand how important Onam food is in this festival. We are trying to bring you interesting insights on different Onam dishes you can try at home on this special occasion.
What is Onam Sadhya?
Every state in India represents a vibrant festival of its own, and every festival is lit with interesting food varieties. One such festival is Onam, celebrated in Kerala with a colorful traditional cuisine consisting of more than 20 dishes and served on a big banana leaf called ‘Sadhya’ or ‘Sadya’, basically Onam food. Sadhya is a term for the feast served on the 10th day of the annual festival of harvest, which is also called ‘Thiru-Onam.’ Onam is basically a Malayali harvest festival. The feast is known for its unique flavors and combinations of dishes. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Onam food is prepared well in advance, a tradition to bring people and the community together that creates a memorable experience for everyone.
What are the items for Onam Sadya?
Onam food includes dishes like:
- Kaaya Varuthatha (Banana chips)
- Chenna Varuthathu (Yam cut into slices and fried with spices)
- Choru (Boiled rice)
- Sarkara Upperi (Banana chips coated with jaggery)
- Pulinji (Tamarind-based chutney)
- Ada Pradhaman (A classic dessert from Kerala)
- Paal Payasam (A rich rice pudding variety)
- Kichadi (Gourd in yogurt curry)
- Pachadi (Pineapple or bitter gourd in yogurt)
- Olan (Ash gourd with beans in a thick coconut milk gravy)
- Theeyal (Mixed vegetable gravy)
- Avial (Vegetables made with coconut and milk)
- Kalan (A dish made with elephant foot yam, plantains, coconut, and curd)
- Sambar (South Indian lentil and vegetable stew)
- Rasam (A soup of spices)
- Thoran (A dry vegetable dish)
- Moru Curry (Buttermilk curry)
- Buttermilk
- Papad
Sounds delicious, right? Well, this meal takes time to prepare, so a bunch of people from local communities come together, sing traditional folk songs and prepare this meal in advance in the early morning of the main celebration day.
At Dwaraka Organic, we are ready with 100% organic ingredients to make your Onam celebration brighter, tastier, and healthier.
If you want to have delicious Onam food at home long away from home, here are some popular recipes you can try using organic ingredients from Dwaraka Organic.
Sweet Pongal
Sweet Pongal is a popular dish in Onam Sadhya as the best offering to God on the auspicious occasions of Onam and Pongal. This dish is prepared with natural ingredients like rice, dal, jaggery, and spices, making it a mouthwatering delicacy to crave.
For one serving of Sweet Pongal, you can use the following ingredients:
- ½ cup rice
- ¼ cup Dwarka Organic Yellow Moong Dal
- 1 cup Dwaraka Organic Jaggery Whole
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Green Cardamom
- 2 tbsp broken cashews
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 pinch Dwaraka Organic Nutmeg Whole
You can find the complete recipe for this delicious south Indian sweet dish here.
Tomato Rice
Tomato rice on Onam is a must-try for everyone who loves delicious, tasty, and tangy one-pot meals. The mixture of tomato with rice feels straight from heaven, and you can easily prepare it at home. This popular South Indian rice variety is easy to make with simple ingredients like rice, tomatoes, and spices.
For one serving of Tomato Rice, you can use the below-mentioned ingredients:
- 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 mins
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Ginger Garlic Paste
- 6 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Cumin Whole
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Black Mustard
- ¼ tsp Dwaraka Organic Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Red Chilli Powder
- ½ tbsp Dwaraka Organic Coriander Powder
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 cups tomato, diced
- 1 tbsp lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
You can refer to this quick recipe of Tomato Rice from Dwaraka Organic.
Sambar
No south Indian meal is complete without traditional Sambar. Sambar is a delicious, delectable, and tasty variation of the lentil stew made with a variety of mixed vegetables, dals, and roasted coconut and spices paste. Sambar makes a healthy meal when mixed with cooked rice in Onam Sadhya. You will need the simple ingredients mentioned below to make this simple recipe at home:
- ¾ cup Dwaraka Organic Toor Dal
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Jaggery Powder
- ¾ tbsp salt
- ¼ tsp Dwaraka Organic Turmeric Powder
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Red Chilli Powder
- ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup tomato, diced
- 2 moringa Sticks, cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ okra, diced
- 1 green chilly, slit into half
Here is the easiest recipe for Kerala Sambar for your Onam celebration from Dwaraka Organic.
Curd Rice
Curd rice, locally known as Thayir Sadham is a variety of rice consumed at the end of this Onam feast we are discussing. You can easily make this curd rice with extra rice with you. Simmer in thick curd and season with mustard, chilies, and other spices. Curd rice on Onam is real comfort food you can enjoy with your loved ones. Buy the following ingredients, and you can prepare curd rice at home:
- 1 cup Basmati rice, cooked
- 1 cup yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 green chilly, finely chopped
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- ¼ cup coriander, chopped
- 1 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Black Mustard
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Urad Dal White
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 pinch asafoetida
- Salt to taste
If you need help with the recipe for curd rice, follow this link.
Kerala Vegetable Stew
Kerala vegetable stew is a simple vegetable stew cooked with the goodness of coconut milk. This quick-to-make recipe loaded with lots of vegetables makes it healthy and nutritious. Buy these ingredients, and you are all set to prepare Kerala vegetable stew at home:
- ½ tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 Dwaraka Organic Cloves
- 1 Dwaraka Organic Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Dwaraka Organic Green Cardamom
- ½ onion, sliced
- ½ carrot, chopped
- ½ potato, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp green peas
- ½ cup cauliflower or broccoli
- 2 Green chilies, slit
- 1 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Ginger Paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups coconut milk, thin
- 3 curry leaves
- ¼ cup Coconut Milk, thick
Find the easiest recipe for Kerala Vegetable Stew from Dwaraka Organic here.
Raw Banana Kebabs
Raw Banana Kebabs or Upperi are awe-inspiring snacks of Kerala. Raw banana roundels are deep fried in oil, soaked in jaggery syrup, and coated with powdered sugar that gives a rustic traditional taste. Bring home the following ingredients, and you can prepare these raw banana kebabs easily by yourself:
- 2 cups raw bananas
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Green Cardamom
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Cinnamon Powder
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Black Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Ginger Powder
- ½ tsp Dwaraka Organic Fennel
- 1 tsp Dwaraka Organic Chana Besan
- ½ cup coriander, chopped
- 2 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 tbsp Dwaraka Organic Sunflower Oil
- Salt to taste
Find the recipe for raw banana kebabs from Dwaraka Organic here.
Gur Ki Kheer
On the occasion of Onam, you can indulge in the goodness of traditional Gur Ki Kheer, also known as Rasiyaw, which is a kheer made with the goodness of jaggery; bring these ingredients home, prepare on the occasion of Onam and add more sweetness to your celebrations:
- 1 l full cream
- ¼ cup Basmati rice
- ½ cup Dwaraka Organic Jaggery Powder
- 2 tbsp chopped almonds and cashews
- ¼ tsp Dwaraka Organic Green Cardamom, powdered
You can find the full recipe of delicious Gur Ki Kheer here.
Onam Sadya (also called Sadhya) reflects the season’s spirit and is traditionally prepared with seasonal vegetables and spices. If you can try these recipes at home, we recommend using only organic ingredients to give you the festival’s perfect taste, aroma, and vibe.
Dwaraka Organic products are available at many popular grocery stores, and we are also available on Amazon.
We wish you all a very Happy Onam!
