As September rolls into Kerala, the state bursts forth with color, culture, and gastronomy. It is the time for Onam, Kerala's largest festival, celebrated with merriment, community, and, of course, food. At the centre of Onam is the Onam Sadya, which is a traditional vegetarian feast served on banana leaves. Sadya is not just a meal; it is an experience of taste, texture, and cultural pride. 

This Onam, let’s explore the magic of Sadya with 15 Kerala recipes that will bring authenticity and festival spirit to your table. Whether you are arranging a funeral Sadya at home, or simply sample it while visiting a restaurant, use this guide to best experience in Kerala.

1. Avial Recipe – The Vegetable Medley

Ingredients for Avial

• ½ cup yams, cubed
• ½ cup raw banana, cubed
• ½ cup carrot, cut into batons
• ½ cup beans, 2-inch pieces
• ½ cup drumstick pieces
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp curd
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• A few curry leaves

Method to Prepare Avial

1. Cook vegetables like yam, banana, carrot, beans, and drumstick with turmeric, salt, and green chilies until tender but not mushy.
2. Grind coconut, cumin, and green chillies to a coarse paste.
3. Add this coconut paste to the cooked vegetables to prepare the Avial curry base.
4. Stir in curd for a mild, tangy flavour in the Avial recipe.
5. Drizzle coconut oil and garnish with curry leaves to complete the Avial dish.
6. Pro Tip: Always cut vegetables for Avial into long, uniform batons to ensure even cooking.

2. Erissery Recipe – Pumpkin and Cowpea Curry

Ingredients for Erissery

• 1 cup yellow pumpkin, cubed
• ½ cup red cowpeas (vanpayar), soaked overnight
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup grated coconut, for roasting
• A few curry leaves

Method to Prepare Erissery

1. Pressure cook the soaked cowpeas until soft.
2. Cook pumpkin cubes with turmeric and salt until tender.
3. Grind coconut, green chilies, and cumin seeds into a paste.
4. Add this paste to pumpkin and cowpeas, and simmer them together.
5. Roast grated coconut in oil until golden, and add to the Erissery curry.
6. Pro Tip: Roasted coconut topping gives Erissery its authentic flavour—never skip it.

3. Kootu Curry Recipe – Chickpeas and Plantain Curry

Ingredients for Kootu Curry

• ½ cup black chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 raw plantain, cubed
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp jaggery (optional)
• Salt, to taste
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Method to Prepare Kootu Curry

1. Pressure cook chickpeas until soft.
2. Cook plantain cubes with turmeric and salt until tender.
3. Grind coconut, cumin, and red chillies into a coarse paste.
4. Mix chickpeas, plantain, and coconut paste with jaggery and pepper.
5. Heat coconut oil, add curry leaves and red chillies, pour over Kootu Curry.
6. Pro Tip: A touch of jaggery balances the spice in Kootu Curry beautifully.

4. Olan Recipe – Ash Gourd Stew

Ingredients for Olan

• 1 cup ash gourd, cubed
• ½ cup red cowpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• ½ cup thin coconut milk
• 2 green chilies, slit
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Method to Prepare Olan

1. Cook cowpeas until soft.
2. Cook ash gourd cubes with green chilies and salt until just tender.
3. Add thin coconut milk and simmer gently.
4. Stir in thick coconut milk and finish with coconut oil and curry leaves to complete the Olan recipe.
5. Pro Tip: Add thick coconut milk at the end to avoid curdling in Olan.

5. Theeyal Recipe – Tamarind and Coconut Curry

Ingredients for Theeyal

• 1 cup shallots, peeled
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp dried red chilies
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Curry leaves
• Salt, to taste

Method to Prepare Theeyal

1. Dry roast grated coconut until deep brown.
2. Add coriander seeds, red chillies, and roast further. Grind into a paste.
3. Sauté shallots in coconut oil until golden.
4. Add tamarind paste, turmeric, and ground coconut paste.
5. Simmer with water until thick. The Theeyal curry should be rich and aromatic.
6. Pro Tip: Roast coconut slowly for Theeyal to develop its smoky depth.

6. Pulissery Recipe – Buttermilk Curry

Ingredients for Pulissery

• 1 cup curd (slightly sour)
• ½ cup ash gourd, cubed
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chilies
• A few curry leaves
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Method to Prepare Pulissery

1. Cook ash gourd cubes with turmeric and salt until soft.
2. Grind coconut, cumin, and green chillies to a paste.
3. Add paste to cooked gourd, simmer.
4. Whisk curd, add, and gently heat without boiling.
5. Temper mustard, red chillies, and curry leaves in coconut oil. Pour into Pulissery curry.
6. Pro Tip: Never boil Pulissery after adding curd—it will split.

7. Sambar Recipe – Kerala-Style Lentil Curry

Ingredients for Sambar

• 1 cup toor dal
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (drumstick, okra, pumpkin, beans)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A few curry leaves
• Salt, to taste

Method to Prepare Sambar

1. Cook dal with turmeric until soft, mash well.
2. Cook vegetables with tamarind water and sambar powder.
3. Mix dal and vegetables, simmer together.
4. Temper mustard, curry leaves in coconut oil, add to Kerala Sambar.
5. Pro Tip: A drizzle of coconut oil enhances the authentic Kerala-style Sambar.

8. Rasam Recipe – Spicy Tamarind Soup

Ingredients for Rasam

• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp rasam powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A few curry leaves
• Salt, to taste

Method to Prepare Rasam

1. Boil tamarind water with tomatoes, turmeric, and rasam powder.
2. Add pepper and cumin.
3. Temper mustard, curry leaves in ghee, pour over the Rasam soup.
4. Pro Tip: Add coriander leaves at the end for freshness in Rasam.

9. Inji Puli Recipe – Ginger Tamarind Pickle

Ingredients for Inji Puli

• ½ cup ginger, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp jaggery
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Curry leaves

Method to Prepare Inji Puli

1. Fry chopped ginger until golden.
2. Add tamarind paste, jaggery, turmeric, chili powder, and simmer.
3. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, and mix into Inji Puli pickle.
4. Pro Tip: Prepare Inji Puli 2–3 days before Sadya for a deeper flavour.

10. Pachadi Recipe – Sweet-Sour Yoghurt Side Dish

Ingredients for Pachadi

• 1 cup pineapple, diced
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cup curd
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chilies
• Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Method to Prepare Pachadi

1. Cook pineapple pieces until soft.
2. Grind coconut, cumin, and green chillies into a paste.
3. Mix paste with curd, add to pineapple.
4. Temper mustard, curry leaves, and add to Pachadi dish.
5. Pro Tip: Add a pinch of sugar for balance in Pineapple Pachadi.

11. Kichadi Recipe – Tangy Curd Curry

Ingredients for Kichadi

• 1 cup cucumber, finely chopped
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1 green chili
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 cup curd
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Method to Prepare Kichadi

1. Cook cucumber pieces with turmeric until soft.
2. Grind coconut, mustard, and green chili into paste.
3. Mix paste with curd, add to cucumber.
4. Temper mustard and curry leaves in oil, pour over Kichadi curry.
5. Pro Tip: For bitter gourd Kichadi, fry slices before mixing with curd.

12. Thoran Recipe – Stir-Fried Coconut Vegetables

Ingredients for Thoran

• 1 cup cabbage, beans, or carrots, chopped
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Salt, to taste

Method to Prepare Thoran

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
2. Add vegetables and sauté.
3. Mix grated coconut and green chilies, add to vegetables.
4. Stir-fry until vegetables are cooked but crisp. Thoran stir-fry is ready.
5. Pro Tip: Keep Thoran crunchy, not soggy, for best results.

13. Upperi & Sharkara Varatti Recipe – Banana Chips Duo

Ingredients for Upperi & Sharkara Varatti

• 2 raw bananas
• Oil, for frying
• Salt
• ½ cup jaggery
• ½ tsp dry ginger powder

Method to Prepare Upperi & Sharkara Varatti

1. Slice bananas thinly, fry in coconut oil for Upperi chips.
2. For Sharkara Varatti, fry banana chunks, coat in jaggery syrup spiced with ginger powder.
3. Pro Tip: Fry in pure coconut oil for authentic Upperi flavour.

14. Payasam Recipe – Kerala Dessert

Ingredients for Payasam

• ½ cup rice, ada / dal
• 1 cup jaggery syrup or sugar
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Cashews and raisins

Method to Prepare Payasam

1. Roast ada or dal in ghee, cook until soft.
2. Add jaggery syrup or sugar.
3. Stir in coconut milk, and simmer.
4. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins to complete Payasam dessert.
5. Pro Tip: Serve Payasam slightly warm in Sadya for comfort.

15. Steamed Rice and Papadam Recipe – The Sadya Base

Ingredients for Rice and Papadam

• 2 cups Kerala red rice (matta rice)
• Water, as needed
• Salt
• 10 papadams, fried

Method to Prepare Rice and Papadam

1. Cook matta rice until soft and fluffy.
2. Fry papadams in oil until crisp.
3. Serve rice in the centre of a banana leaf with papadam on top to complete the Sadya base dish.
4. Pro Tip: Always rinse Kerala rice well before cooking to remove excess starch.

These Onam Sadya recipes combine the flavours of Kerala, which have spicy, tangy, sweet, nutty and comforting goodness. Making these recipes at home offers you and your family a feast and a cultural experience. This September, celebrate Onam with a traditional Sadya spread, and let your dining table come to life with a little taste of the culinary magic of Kerala.

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