Onam 2024: 10 Must-Try ‘Sadhya’ Dishes From Kerala’s Top Chefs [Recipes Included]

Our childhood memories of festivals are often intertwined with family gatherings and the joy of indulging in traditional, delicious food. Onam, celebrated over 10 days, culminates on Thiruvonam with a lavish feast called Onasadhya. This grand vegetarian spread, served on a banana leaf, features over 20 dishes that tantalise all your senses.

The array of vibrant dishes, bursting with different flavours and colours, is truly a feast for the eyes. Experiencing an authentic sadhya in Kerala is something everyone should do at least once in their life. I was fortunate to celebrate Onam in Kochi last year, where I enjoyed a sit-down sadhya prepared by a renowned caterer. The flavours are still vivid in my memory!

From the crisp banana chips to the sweet paalada pradhaman, the avial, rasam, tangy puli inji, olan, and crunchy papadum served with rice and parippu, the variety is endless. There’s something soft, something crispy, something mild, something spicy — each bite is a unique and unforgettable experience!

So, if you’re in the mood to treat yourself and your family to a feast, here’s a list of 10 dishes that can create a sumptuous sadhya. A little preparation the day before — like grating coconuts and chopping vegetables — will set you up for a lavish meal.

10 Traditional dishes from renowned Malayali chefs and vloggers

1. Avial

This nutritious side dish is a staple in every sadhya, featuring a blend of steamed vegetables in a coconut, green chilli, and curd-based curry. The recipe comes from Shaan Geo, a popular content creator with over 2.57 million YouTube subscribers.

Avial (Recipe by Shaan Geo)

Ingredients:

Grated Coconut – 1 cup

Shallots – 5 to 10 nos

Green Chilli  – 5 nos

Curry Leaves – 4 sprigs

Coconut Oil  – 4 tbsp

Curd  – ½ cup

Vegetables (Include whatever you have)

Elephant foot yam, raw plantain, yellow cucumber,

ivy gourd, snake gourd, ash gourd, carrot, long beans,

pumpkin, drumstick.

Method:

Wash, peel, and chop the vegetables into two-inch pieces.

Cook the vegetables in a covered vessel with green chillies, water, salt, and turmeric powder. Keep the flame low until the vegetables are tender and dry.

Crush the shallots and mix them with coconut oil.

Grind the grated coconut and ½ tsp cumin seeds into a coarse paste with a little water.

Add this paste to the vegetables along with curry leaves and cook on low flame for three minutes.

Stir in lightly beaten curd and mix well.

Turn off the flame, add the coconut oil-shallot mixture, and your avial is ready!

Note: Be sure not to overcook the vegetables. Add them based on their individual cooking times.

2. Beetroot Pachadi

This flavourful side dish, commonly served in most sadhyas, adds a much-needed burst of taste to the meal. The recipe is by Veena Jan, known for sharing traditional Kerala recipes on her YouTube channel ‘Veena’s Curryworld’, which has over 2.57 million subscribers.

3. Cabbage Thoran

Sadhya features a variety of thorans, which are dry vegetable dishes made from a vegetable of your choice. Here, we present a cabbage thoran recipe by Veena.

Cabbage Thoran (Recipe by Veena’s Curryworld)

Ingredients:

Cabbage – 1/2 cabbage chopped fine

Shallots – 6 nos

Ginger – Small piece

Green chilli – 2 nos

Grated coconut – 1/4th cup

Method:

Crush the ginger, green chilli, curry leaves, and shallots together.

Add this mixture to the chopped cabbage along with salt, coconut, and turmeric. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds.

Add the cabbage mixture and stir well.

Cover with a lid and cook on low flame for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and stir for an additional 5 minutes.

4. Puli Inji

This sweet, sour, and spicy ginger curry is the perfect side dish. The recipe comes from Chef Suresh Pillai — a renowned chef and restaurateur who runs a successful chain of restaurants.

Puli Inji (Recipe by Chef Suresh Pillai)

Ingredients:

Ginger – 150 g chopped

Green chillies – 50 g chopped

Tamarind – Large lemon-sized ball (soaked in warm water and strained)

Jaggery – 200 g (make a syrup, use according to your taste)

Coconut oil – 50 ml

Mustard seeds – 10 g

Dried red chillies – Few

Curry leaves – Few sprigs

Turmeric powder – 5 g

Chilly powder – 15 g

Roasted fenugreek powder – 8 gm

Asafoetida – 5 gm

Salt to taste

Method:

In a clay pot, heat coconut oil and pop the mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, green chillies, and ginger.

Saute for a few minutes on low flame, then add salt, turmeric powder, and chilli powder. Saute for an additional minute.

Pour in the tamarind water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the jaggery syrup and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

Add roasted fenugreek powder and hing, and mix well.

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

5. Kalan

This thick, curd-based curry featuring raw plantain and yam is a must-try for your sadhya. The recipe is by Shaan Geo.

6. Olan

This simple stew, a quintessential Kerala dish, is a staple in sadhya. Made with ash gourd, cow peas, and coconut milk, this recipe comes from Sharmilee Jayaprakash, the creator of the popular food channel Sharmis Passions.

Olan (Recipe by Sharmis Passions)

Ingredients:

White ash gourd – 1.5 cups (chop into bite-size pieces)

Cowpeas – 1/2 cup

Green chillis – 2 nos, slit into half

Coconut milk (thin) – 1 cup

Coconut milk (thick) – 1 cup

Coconut oil

Curry leaves

Method:

Soak the cowpeas overnight, then pressure cook with a little water until soft.

Heat ½ cup of water along with 1 cup of thin coconut milk. Add the ash gourd and green chillies.

Cook until the vegetable is tender but not mushy.

Add the cooked cowpeas, salt to taste, and thick coconut milk.

When the mixture is about to boil, turn off the heat. Add curry leaves and drizzle coconut oil over the curry.

7. Pumpkin Erissery

This thick, flavourful curry made with red pumpkin comes in various styles. This particular recipe is a Thrissur-style erissery with dal, brought to you by Veena’s Curryworld.

8. Palada Pradhaman

No sadhya is complete without this sweet payasam (kheer), a personal favourite that’s irresistible — no one can stop at just one cup! This recipe comes from Jinoo’s Kitchen, run by Jinoo Jayakrishnan, who started the kitchen to document her mother’s treasured recipes.

Palada Pradhaman (Recipe by Jinoo’s Kitchen)

Ingredients:

Rice ada – 1 cup

Full fat milk – 2.5 lt

Sugar – 2 to 2.5 cups

Ghee/butter – 1 tbsp

Water – 3 cups

Method:

Boil 3 cups of water in a pan, then switch off the heat.

Add the rice ada flakes, cover, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain and rinse the ada with cold water to stop further cooking.

In a thick-bottomed vessel, pour the milk and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.

Once it boils, add sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the milk reduces and thickens.

When the milk has reduced considerably and the colour begins to change, strain and add the ada.

Cook on low flame until the mixture turns creamy and thick.

Stir in fresh butter or ghee before serving.

9. Vendakka Khicadi

This unique combination of crisp okra (bhindi/ vendakka) with curd offers a texture and taste that will blow your mind. The flavours come together beautifully, leaving you craving more. This recipe is also from Jinoo’s Kitchen.

10. Sambaram

This spiced buttermilk is the perfect way to end your meal. The recipe comes from Shamee’s Kitchen, which boasts over 5.23 million subscribers on YouTube.

Sambaram (Recipe by Shamee’s kitchen)

Ingredients:

Curd – 1 cup

Water – 8 cups

Shallots – 10 nos

Green chilli – as per your spice tolerance

Ginger – Medium-sized piece

Pepper – ½ tsp

Method:

Beat the curd in a vessel until smooth and free of lumps.

Add water and beat again to combine.

Crush the shallots and set aside.

Coarsely crush the ginger, green chilli, pepper, and some curry leaves.

Add the crushed shallots and spice mixture to the buttermilk and mix well.

Season with salt to taste and stir.

All that’s left to do is boil some rice — matta rice for authenticity — along with some toor dal (paruppu). Fry up some pappadams, and you’ll have a perfect sadhya ready to enjoy with family and friends.

Edited by Pranita Bhat