13 Easy Recipes for Onam Sadhya –

Onam Sadya Recipes

Here is a collection of 13 recipes for Onam sadhya you can make with ease. Sadya is a
popular Kerala meal consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes served on a
banana leaf. In Malayalam, the word “sadhya” refers to a feast. Sadhya is a traditional dish
for Onam, Kerala’s state festival.

About Onam Festival:

Onam, also known as Thiru-Onam or Thiruvonam, occurs in the Malayalam calendar’s first
month, Chingam. It is one of the most well-known celebrations in Kerala. The preparations and
celebrations for Onam last for ten days.
Onam is a celebration of the homecoming of King Mahabali, who was granted rule over all lands
by Lord Vishnu. This is a day when people give thanks for their harvest and for a good life with
family and friends.
Onam is celebrated by organizing a large feast called Onam Sadhya. For this grand feast, over
two dozen vegetarian dishes are traditionally made and served on banana leaves. The fresh
banana leaf enhances the flavor of the many dishes and curries that are served hot on it.
The planning for this important occasion normally begins a few days ahead of time.
Sadya is a vegetarian feast that’s eaten on this day in Kerala. It includes many different dishes
and it can be considered as one of the biggest festivals in Kerala. Sadya has various recipes that
include dishes like vegetarian curries, side dishes, different kinds of pickles, desserts. etc
Onam Sadhya is traditionally served without cutlery and eaten while seated on the floor.
For Malayalees all over the world, Onam brings back nostalgic memories of their native land.
Apart from the traditional rituals that are performed during Onam, there are certain dishes that are
prepared during this time and they make some of the best food for this special occasion.
This article will explore some of the traditional recipes that can be served as an offering during
Onam festivities.
And the best part of all these dishes is that they are really simple to make if some of the prep
work is done a day before, like peeling, chopping, grating coconut, etc.
So now let us jump straight onto the Recipes for Onam sadhya!
1) Parippu Curry
Parippu curry is one of the delicacies prepared at the Onam sadya. It’s a combination of moong
dal and coconut. To make the recipe, you can use either moong dal or tuvar dal. Parippu is an
essential part of every Sadya (feast) in Kerala. The inclusion of coconut oil gives Kerala Parippu
a very rich flavor, while the roasted gram gives it an earthy-sweet flavour.
2) Moru Curry Recipe – Seasoned Buttermilk Without Coconut
Moru Curry Recipe is one of the simplest recipes which can be prepared in a very less time. The
main ingredient of this recipe is curd which is easily available most of the time. Moru Curry is
not only tasty but it has all the goodness of healthy ingredients.
3) Instant South Indian Sambar Recipe
Sambar is a combination of lentils, vegetables, tamarind juice, and some mild spices. The recipe
for a sambhar dish varies from region to region. This recipe of Sambhar is very easy and is the
best recipe for Onam sadya, when you have so many things to prepare.

4) Mathanga Erissery Recipe (Pumpkin Coconut Curry)

Mathanga Erissery Recipe is a traditional South India Recipe with a lot of health benefits. You
will often see this recipe as an essential part of the Onam Sadya in Kerala. In some parts of
Kerala, this dish is known as elisseri. This curry is made with pumpkin, coconut and is mild and
balanced with light sweet taste.
5) Kerala Beetroot Thoran Recipe – Kerala Style Beetroot Stir Fry
Beetroot Thoran Recipe is a Kerala side dish made with finely chopped beetroot and with lots of
grated coconuts. The addition of coconut oil in this recipe gives this dish an amazing taste. This
recipe has the goodness of beetroot and coconut both.
6) Chena Thoran Recipe – Yam Coconut Stir Fry Recipe
Chena Thoran Recipe is a tasty side dish from Kerala stirred fry with coconut. This is also a great
option as a side dish for Onam sadya.
7) Carrot Beans Thoran Recipe – Carrot Beans Stir Fry Recipe
Carrot Beans Thoran Recipe is a delicious and healthy side dish recipe. made of chopped carrot
and beans and is very easy to make.
8) Mathanga Thoran – Pumpkin Stir Fry
Matanga is a South Indian name for Pumpkin. And any vegetable that is stir-fried along with
grated coconut is called “Thoran” in Kerala. So that makes “Matanga Thoran” more or, less a
Keralite dish.
9) Beetroot Pachadi Recipe
Beetroot pachadi is a combination of beetroot and plain curd, tempered with some Indian spices.
10) Kerala Inji Theeyal Recipe – Tangy Ginger Curry Recipe
Inji Theeyal Recipe is a tangy and salty side dish recipe that is usually served in Onam Sadya. Inji
Theeyal Recipe goes really well along with boiled rice, moong dal parippu, beetroot thoran,
papadam, and ghee.

11) Instant Lemon Pickle Recipe – Kerala Style Naranga Achar Recipe

Instant Lemon Pickle Recipe is a spicy and tangy Kerala-style pickled recipe made with lemons.
This lemon pickle gives a unique flavor and is good for digestion. It’s quick and easy to make,
but you’ll have to wait a few days to eat it. The recipe is simple to follow. This lemon pickle can
be made without the use of sunlight.

12) Kadumanga Achar – How to make Instant Mango Pickle

Kadumanga Achar Recipe is an Instant Mango Pickle Recipe from South India that is quick to
make and tastes really great with white rice.

13) Ada Prathaman Recipe

Last but not the least, Ada Prathaman plays a very important role. Onam is incomplete without
payasam. If you do a little preparation a day before, you will be easily able to make this Ada
payasam with homemade ada and freshly grated coconut milk.
How to Serve the Recipes for Onam Sadhya:
After all, people are attracted to well-presented food. So now that you know how to make all the
recipes for Onam sadhya, you might be curious about how it is served. Right?
So let me take you through the quick guide on how to serve Onam Sadhya.
This covers the direction in which the banana leaf (if you’re using one) should point, the position
of each item on the leaf, and the order in which the primary courses should be served.
Clean the banana leaf and place it in front of each person, narrow end facing towards their left.
Serve small portions of the following items, beginning from the left tip of the leaf’s top half, all
the way to its right edge. The below is the order in which it is to be served:
 A pinch of Salt
 Pappadam (preferably , the small Kerala papads which puff up when fried)
 A ripe small Kerala Banana (but yo can use any small banana available to you)
 Plain Banana Chips
 Sharkara Varatti (jaggery-coated banana chips)
 Inji Theeyal
 Pickles
 Pachadi
 Kalan (recipe coming soon)
 Erissery
 Avial (recipe coming soon)
 Thoran
 Rice (serve the rice in the empty bottom half of the leaf)
 Parippu (the first course which is served with ghee/Neyy)
 Sambar (the next course)
 Pulissery (the final savoury course) 
 Ada Pradhaman (and finally, the sweet course is served. Again, typically, there are two
varieties of payasam served – one milk-based and one made of homemade rice flakes/ ada,
jaggery and fresh coconut milk)
And yes, eat as much as you like of the dishes that have already been served, and, of course, take
as much rice as you need.
You Might want to read my post on A Trip to Kerala (God’s own Country)
Plan a Day Ahead:
It takes a long time to prepare all of the Recipes for Onam Sadhya. So a little bit of planning can
be beneficial for you.
 Clean and grate coconut, keep it in box and then store in refrigrator.
 A ground coconut, cumin, and green chile paste is used in some dishes. As a result, you can
grind everything together and then use it in sections for the dish.
 Clean wash and chop all the vegetables needed for the various recipes and store them in the
fridge.
 To make ada payasam, grate the coconut and store it in a box so that you can easily extract the
coconut milk the next morning, make ada and store it in a box. Melt the jaggery, straining it to
remove the impurities. You may simply cook ada payasam if these three items are done the
day before.
 You can make some of the dishes like kalan, inji theeyal, kadumanga achar, lemon pickle a
day ahead. And store them well in a clean surface, since you would be using all of these items
while doing the pooja.
 Start as early as possible in the morning, so that you can finish of everything by 10′ o clock.
And then you can get ready for pooja and for feast of course.
 And most importantly, I would suggest you do some segragation of the common items used in
multiple of these recipes like grated coconut, vegetables, ground paste etc., before hand if
possible. This would help avoid confusion about measurements, the next day morning when
you start cooking.
Following these few things can save you a lot of time. Most importantly, you will get time for
yourself and your family rather than just standing in the kitchen and preparing food.
If you are able to finish off the pooja and lunch in time, you will also get time to enjoy some
snack items prepared during Onam along with your hot cup of chai in the evening.