Onam fiesta

Till a few years ago, Onam in North India, especially Delhi, was not a grand affair.
Onam
Onam

Till a few years ago, Onam in North India, especially Delhi, was not a grand affair. The annual harvest festival was deemed as the prerogative of the Malayali diaspora present in the capital. but something transformative transpired in the last few years.

These are in the way of purposively conceptualised Onam menus that are popping up as extensions to main menus at popular city restaurants, and chefs are bending over backwards to showcase this regional extravagance.

“South Indian food, besides the typical idly and dosa meal, is steadily getting assimilated into North Indian’s mainstream food culture.

"Onam plays a huge part in this conversion with its full-bodied cuisine of Kerala,” says Chef Sheik Mohideen of Savya Rasa. Onam began on September 1 and will go on till September 13.

It’s a time of commemoration of the mythical King named Mahabali. But Onam Sadhya is easily the most awaited part of the festivity and why not, when a multi-course meal is served on a huge banana leaf with unlimited servings of delicious food, it’s hard to not get tempted.

Varun Agarwal, Founder and Chef, Maachis, with
his Sadhya 

“One of the most popular dishes in the Sadhya meal is avial which is a combination of drumsticks, yam, raw plantain, carrots, potato and coconut. This is a semi-dry preparation cooked with mild spices. You must have it if you visit us,” says Mohideen, whose feast that includes other preparations such as Mulakku Varuthathu, Parippu Vada, Manga Chammanthi, Upperi, Sarkaravaratti, Parippu Curry, Erissery, among others. 

While Onam Sadhya is largely known for its vegetarian extravaganza, non-vegetarian options are being added to the meal at the behest of growing demand. “Our Fish Polichattu scented with spices is wrapped and seared. It’s one of the most popular contemporary addition to an Onam meal along with our Tender Kerala Fried Mutton which is stir-fried with Keralan spices and chillies,” says Varun Agarwal, founder and chef, Maachis. 

GR’s Searock the Coastal Cookhouse Restaurant and Bar, a well-known place for coastal cuisine in Delhi couldn’t stay away from tempting its guests with Onam curations such as avial, thoran, puliserry and others. “Onam is like Christmas for Keralites. They flock back home or get together to celebrate this festival of harvest. And with more and more authentic sadhyas being rustled up in Delhi, it’s made a huge difference to people who cannot go back home,” says Ganesh Rao, Chef Entrepreneur at the restaurant. 

While Zambar is extending an early bird discount of 15 per cent on bookings before September 8, Mahabelly is offering Sadhyas for home delivery in South Delhi and Gurgaon (minimum order of four Sadhyas to be placed 24 hours in advance). That’s plenty to stomach. Now take your pick.

An easy Onam Sadhya recipe by Ganesh Rao, Chef Entrepreneur GRs Searock Cookhouse Avial:

Ingredients

Malabar cucumber, beans, carrot, snack gourd, raw banana, cluster beans, yam
For Masala
Coconut, cumin, green chilly, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, salt, coconut oil, curd

Method

1. Take the masalas and grind them.
2. Wash and cut vegetables. Cook on slow fire for 15 minutes. Then add coconut paste.
3. Add curd and mix well. 
4. Garnish fried curry leaves.

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