The Onam Sadhya covers all the flavour profiles – sweet, salty, sour and spicy, and uses a lot of regional ingredients like coconut, jaggery, yams and a wide variety of lentils.
An Onam Sadhya is incomplete without the Pappadam. They are made from rice flour and are crispy in texture.
Upperi or Banana Chips are one the most beloved dishes in Sadhya. A handful of Upperi is generally served in the traditional feast.
harkara Varatti is the sweeter version of banana chips. It is deep-fried raw bananas coated in jaggery syrup and flavoured with cardamom, cumin and dry ginger.
Inji curry is made from ginger, tamarind and jaggery. This is one of the first dishes prepared in Malayali households in the days leading to Thiruvonam.
This mango dish adds a spicy kick to the Sadhya. It is made with raw mango and coconut milk.
Naranga Curry is a sour lemon pickle that adds some zest to the grand meal.
Pachadi is another yogurt-based dish. This curry is made with either pineapple or bitter gourd and grated coconut.
Olan is made with white or ash gourd and red beans splashed with a generous amount of coconut milk.