Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, is celebrated with joy, tradition and, of course, an elaborate feast. As Hyderabad’s Malayali community continues to grow, Onam celebrations have become an increasingly familiar part of the city’s festive calendar. With the festival around the corner on August 26, several restaurants and food outlets are bringing the traditional Onam Sadhya to Hyderabad, giving diners a chance to experience the flavours of Kerala.
Among them is LuLu Mall, which is offering an Onam Sadhya kit that can be pre-booked and ordered for takeaway. Packed with a spread of traditional dishes, the meal is designed to bring the festive feast home in a convenient format. We sampled the Sadhya at LuLu Mall, which features more than 20 varieties of dishes. While we tasted around 10-12 of them, the meal offered a generous introduction to the flavours and textures that define a traditional Kerala feast. Curated by Jr Sous Chef Rashan Rai and CDP Abhram, the spread was a treat.
Served traditionally on a banana leaf, the meal featured Injipuli pickle, mango pickle, beetroot pickle, avial, kootu curry, thoran (poriyal), pappadam, boiled Kuthari rice and sambar, followed by a sweet dish. Each preparation brought its own character to the meal, from the tangy pickles and comforting sambar to the earthy vegetables and coconut-based flavours.
With Onam just around the corner, LuLu Mall’s Sadhya kit makes for a convenient way to bring a slice of the festival to the dining table and enjoy a traditional feast with family and friends.