The Sadhya A grand vegetarian banana-leaf banquet — up to two dozen dishes served in a fixed order, eaten with the hands, and finished with a payasam.
- The tradition
- Onam welcomes the spirit of the just king Mahabali, who legend says returns each year to visit the people who once flourished under his rule. It is Kerala’s harvest homecoming.
- Customs & rituals
- Homes are fronted with the pookalam, an intricate carpet of fresh flower petals laid in concentric rings; the days fill with snake-boat races (Vallam Kali), folk dances, and the great feast at midday.
- What people wear
- The kasavu — a cream mundu or sari edged in a band of gold zari, worn fresh as “Onakkodi”, the festival’s new clothes.
On the table
14 recipes to cook for Onam.
Plan a Onam party →
Kerala / South India · Indian
Parippu (Kerala Moong Dal with Ghee)
The opening course of the Kerala sadya: soft cooked moong dal tempered lightly and served with a spoon of ghee over the first mound of rice. Simple, soothing, and the dish the feast begins with.
Tamil Nadu / South India · Indian
Sambar (South Indian Lentil and Vegetable Stew)
The everyday backbone of a South Indian meal: toor dal simmered with vegetables and tamarind, seasoned with a freshly ground sambar powder and a sizzling tempering. Tangy, savory, and endlessly comforting.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Kerala Rasam (Pepper-Tamarind Broth)
The thin, fragrant, peppery broth that follows the sambar course on the sadya: tamarind and tomato sharpened with a freshly pounded rasam powder and finished with curry leaves. Restorative on its own, perfect poured over rice.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Yogurt)
A cornerstone of the Kerala sadya: a medley of vegetables simmered until tender and bound in a coconut-cumin paste with tangy yogurt, finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Wholesome, gentle, and quietly addictive.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Thoran (Kerala Stir-Fried Vegetables with Coconut)
The everyday Kerala side that's essential to the sadya: finely chopped vegetables tossed with fresh grated coconut, green chili, and a curry-leaf-and-mustard tempering. Dry, fresh, and quick — the green note on the banana leaf.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Olan (Kerala Ash Gourd and Cowpea in Coconut Milk)
A serene, mildly sweet sadya dish: ash gourd and red cowpeas simmered in thin then thick coconut milk, seasoned with only green chili and curry leaves and finished with raw coconut oil. The quiet, cooling course of the feast.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Kaalan (Kerala Yam and Plantain in Spiced Yogurt and Coconut)
A thick, tangy sadya curry of yam and raw plantain cooked in sour yogurt with a roasted coconut paste, reduced until glossy and keeping for days. The bold, long-life counterpoint to olan.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Erissery (Kerala Pumpkin and Cowpea with Roasted Coconut)
A comforting sadya curry of pumpkin and red cowpeas mashed in coconut paste and crowned with a fragrant roasted-coconut tempering. Sweet, earthy, and finished with that toasted-coconut aroma that makes it unmistakable.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Koottu Curry (Kerala Chickpeas and Vegetables with Roasted Coconut)
A hearty, mildly sweet sadya dish of black chickpeas, raw banana, and yam in a ground-coconut base, crowned with roasted coconut and a little jaggery. Substantial, nutty, and a quiet Onam favourite.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Pachadi (Kerala Cucumber and Yogurt with Coconut)
The cooling sweet-sour relish of the sadya: cucumber in coconut-ground yogurt with a hint of green chili and a mustard tempering. Kerala's answer to raita, and the dish that refreshes the palate between courses.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Puli Inji (Kerala Ginger-Tamarind Relish)
The tiny, mighty dab on the sadya leaf: ginger and green chili cooked down with tamarind and jaggery into a glossy sweet-sour-spicy relish. Also called inji puli — a spoonful goes a long way and it keeps for weeks.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Sharkara Upperi (Jaggery-Coated Banana Chips)
Kerala's crunchy-sweet sadya treat: ripe-firm plantain chips fried crisp, then tossed in a spiced jaggery syrup with ginger and cardamom until they set in a frosted shell. The sweet cousin of plain banana chips.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Ada Pradhaman (Kerala Onam Payasam)
The grand finale of the Onam sadya: rice ada simmered in jaggery and three extractions of coconut milk until thick, glossy, and caramel-deep, scented with cardamom and dry ginger and studded with ghee-fried coconut. Kerala's most beloved payasam.
Kerala / South India · Indian
Palada Payasam (Kerala Rice Ada Milk Pudding)
The milky, rose-tinged payasam that crowns the Onam sadya: tender rice ada simmered slowly in sweetened milk until it thickens and turns a pale pink, scented with cardamom and ghee-fried nuts. Patient, simple, and unforgettable.