The Onam festival is celebrated to honor King Mahabali, whose reign is remembered as Kerala’s golden era.
Only a few festivals in India celebrate cultural pride, tradition, and community spirit as beautifully as Onam, which is Kerala’s annual harvest festival. However, do you know that central to the celebrations is the Onam Sadya? It is a grand vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, and symbolizes abundance and unity. The elaborate meal features as many as 26 to 30 distinct dishes, and is a culinary experience. More than that, it is a rooted tradition that reflects Kerala’s agricultural prosperity, and culinary artistry.
Now as families around the world prepare for Onam in 2025, let’s take a closer look at the cultural significance of this iconic meal.
Onam is celebrated to honor King Mahabali, who was a legendary ruler and his reign is remembered as Kerala’s golden era. As per mythology, Mahabali’s annual visit to his people coincides with the state’s harvest season. The Sadya (meaning ‘banquet’ in Malayalam) brings together dishes made from freshly harvested rice, vegetables, and spices Kerala is known for. It is served during Tiruvonam, which remains the most significant day of the 10-day festival.
The Onam Sadya is served on a banana leaf, which starts from the bottom left corner and extends upwards in a precise manner. Here’s a breakdown of some of the star dishes:
Parippu – A simple dish made with moong dal and ghee, served as the first curry after rice.
Sambar – Kerala’s lentil-based curry uses freshly ground coconut and spices, distinct from Tamil or Karnataka styles.
Avial – The mixed vegetable curry is cooked with coconut and yogurt.
Kaalan – A yogurt-based dish with raw bananas or yam, made with coconut paste.
Olan – A stew made with white pumpkin, cowpeas, and coconut milk.
Erissery – The curry features pumpkin, beans, and coconut, garnished with roasted coconut flakes.
Thoran – A vegetable stir-fry with grated coconut, featuring cabbage, beans, or carrots.
Kichadi and Pachadi – Yogurt-based dishes sweetened with fruits like pineapple, while kichadi uses vegetables or bitter gourd.
Inji Curry – A spicy-sweet chutney made with ginger, tamarind, and jaggery, which is referred to as the “King of Sadya.”
Pickles – Multiple varieties, such as lemon, mango, and gooseberry.
Banana Chips and Sharkara Varatti – Crispy plantain chips and jaggery-coated banana crisps served as appetizers.
Papadam – The crispy lentil wafer adds crunch to the feast.
Puli Inji – A sweet and spicy ginger-tamarind relish that aids digestion.
Buttermilk (Sambaram) – A drink spiced with ginger, curry leaves, and green chili.
Payasams – Two varieties of this traditional dessert, such as Palada Payasam (made with rice ada and milk) and Parippu Pradhaman (a jaggery-based dal dessert).
This combination of dishes is carefully designed to balance six primary tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent, and astringent—making the Sadya a holistic gastronomic experience.
Serving Sadya on a banana leaf is a cultural and ecological tradition. Banana leaves are biodegradable, and symbolise purity in Kerala’s customs.
