Till a few years ago, if you asked anyone in North India about what is Onasadhya, they would not have a clue. In fact, very few had much idea about Kerala cuisine - other than perhaps Appam and Stew. That too not many people. But COVID changed all that. Though not as ubiquitous as the Malayali Tea Sellers - who are reported to have reached the moon - Onasadhya is now a rage all across the country. Some say it has become almost a status symbol among the fashionable set.
Someone had once compared Bengal's Durga Puja with Christmas. But I think the description is more apt for Onam, which is more of a celebration than a festival. In Kerala, Onam is not restricted to one community but cuts across religions. Malayali Christians participate in Onam with as much fervour as do the Hindus. Again not unlike Durga Puja and Christmas, Malayalis go on a shopping orgy during Onam. As per one estimate, consumer products clock 30-40 per cent of their annual sales during the two months of Onam season.
What sets Onam apart from Durga Puja or Diwali and makes it closer to Christmas is not shopping but feasting. This is understandable because Onam is essentially a harvest festival celebrated over ten days. However, it is the story of Onam and the lovable Mahabali (which is sometimes punned with Mahabelly - considering his girth and love for food) that gives it an element of fun of which the Onasadhya is the central piece.
Simply stated, Sadhya is a banquet. But Onasadhya is much more than a feast -- it is a tradition with an auspicious aura around it. Served on a plantain leaf, the grand meal sometimes comprises over 40 dishes. There is a protocol to be followed even in the laying of the leaf.
It is important that the tapering end of the plantain leaf points to the left of the seated guest. The Sadhya rice will get served only after all the side dishes and savouries have been served! Rice is served only on that half of the leaf, which is closer to the guest. Designers consider Onasadhya to be one of the best food designs. A friend told me that at the Kerala Design Week they had a whole discussion on Onasadhya.
The main side dishes include Avial, Thoran and Olan while the savouries include Upperi, Pappadam, Puli Inji, Pachadi and Kichadi, each of which has to be served on a specific place on the leaf. Once the rice has been served, it is time for the Parippu, a curry made of small gram and ghee. And that officially marks the beginning of the feast!
The second course starts with Sambar. You get to relish the desserts mid-way through the meal. Payasams make for the dessert and over three to four varieties of Payasams are served. After the Payasams, rice is served once more along with the curd-based curry named Pulisseri. This is followed by spicy Rasam. The arrival of the sour buttermilk marks the end of the feast. My Malayali friends joke - they count the three kinds of pickles and salt also among the 40 items.
As everywhere, there is regional rivalry among Malayalis about whose Sadhya is better. The Palakkad folks who consider themselves to be the best cooks insist their Onasadhya is superior, which is fiercely contested by those from Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur. But, those distinctions are too subtle for the uninitiated like me to make out.
During the pandemic restaurants chanced upon an opportunity to cater Onasadhya to homes. Since then the business has boomed. Malayalis living away from home, especially the younger generation, do not have the wherewithal to prepare an elaborate Onasadhya at home and prefer to order it in. Post COVID Onasadhya festivals has become a trend in South Indian eateries across the country and drawing customers from even non-Malayali communities who have discovered the beauty of Onasadhya. So much so, some restaurants are now having Onasadhya pop-ups.
Food delivery services like Swiggy and Zomato are supplying packed Onasadhya from restaurants - complete with plantain leaf and instructions on how to lay it out. Onasadhya from a restaurant can cost anything between Rs 500 to Rs 1500 per unit. This year Swiggy produced a delectable Commercial advertising home-delivered Onasadhya. Even more interesting are ready-to-eat Sadhya kits developed by some innovative food companies like tastynibbles.in.
In Kerala, which has a large elderly population living alone and difficulty in finding household help, I believe Sadhya stalls have become common catering to the older population living alone. As per one estimate, the Onasadhya industry in Kerala is as large as Rs 500 crores. Even bigger is the liquor sales during the Onam week, which was placed at a whopping Rs 624 crores in 2022.
During my stay in the Nilgiris, I had the opportunity of tasting Sadhya at two or three clubs that competed among each other every Onam. So, if you haven't had a tryst with Onasadhya yet - head to the nearest Sadhya Festival in your city and even you may fall in love with the rotund, potbellied Mahabali.