Happy Onam: All you need to know about the festive sadya

The St Regis Mumbai Onam sadya will include dishes such as sadya manga achar, kaya varatha, sarkkara varatiyatu, Malabar kadala curry. Photo: St Regis Mumbai

Many of us have had the pleasure of sampling Onam sadya thanks to our friends. The traditional feast enjoyed by Malayalis around the globe to celebrate the harvest festival of Onam on August 21 is known for its flavourful extravagance. Served on a banana leaf, typically the number of dishes in a sadya exceeds 24 but can go upto 60, and at times even more. With its countless variations and list of bountiful dishes, the multi-course meal can be puzzling to many, especially those who are trying to do it all on their own.

Mid-day.com reached out to Chef Dane Fernandes, executive chef at The St Regis Mumbai, to decode the Onam sadya. Fernandes explains the significance of the festival, its many variations, popular dishes and essential tips to plate a traditional Onam sadya.

What is the significance of the traditional sadya in Onam celebrations?

Indian festivals are incomplete without food, and Onam is no different. The word sadya-- meaning banquet in Malayalam--is a traditional spread featuring over 25 dishes and typically served on a banana leaf. Fresh banana leaves are packed with a natural antioxidant called polyphenols. When warm food is served on the leaf, the antioxidant is absorbed in the food, which provides all necessary benefits. The leaf is also rich in antibacterial properties, vitamin A, calcium, and carotene.

The importance of a sadya in Onam can be judged by the common Malyali phrase kaanamvittumonamunnanam, which roughly translates to ‘even if you sell your property, you need to have the Onam feast'.

Some also believe that the feast is in honour of King Mahabali who visits his people. This is why a serving of sadya is usually offered to him with a nilavilakku (traditional brass lamp) lit. It is believed that once he has had his meal, the rest of the family members can go ahead.

Does the sadya have any variations?

Typically onion and garlic are not used in the sadya but there are variations depending on the place and religion. Although, the custom was to use traditional and seasonal vegetables indigenous to Kerala or the south west coast of India some communities-- especially those in the northern part of Kerala-- include non-vegetarian dishes as well.

Which are the most popular dishes served?

Some of the most popular dishes served are kaayavaruthatha (banana chips), chennavaruthathu (yam cut into slices and fried with spices), choru (boiled rice), sarkaraupperi (jaggery coated banana chips), pulinji (tamarind-based chutney), paalpayasam (rice pudding), kichadi (gourd in a yoghurt curry), pachadi (pineapple or bitter gourd in yoghurt), olan (ash gourd with beans in a thick coconut milk gravy), theeyal (mixed vegetable gravy), avial (vegetables made with coconut and milk), kalan, sambar, rasam, thoran, mor curry, buttermilk and papad.

Please share essential plating tips to keep in mind when serving sadya.

Serving the traditional sadya meal involves a lot of team work. The food is cooked in huge vessels and served from steel buckets on banana leaves. When serving in hotels, the task is assigned to five to ten people.

-Make sure that the banana leaf is placed in such a way so that the wider side is on the right hand side of the person eating the meal. One will have to eat the food with their right hand.

-Place side dishes such as kichadi, pachadi, avial, thoran, erissery, olan, kalanon the top half of the leaf.

-Serve the pickles, chips, and salt on the top half left hand corner.

- Bottom half of the banana leaf is reserved for rice and sambar varieties and the bottom left corner is left for the banana and pappadam.

-Though the order of serving may differ from place to place, in the end it looks more or less the same.

The St. Regis is serving traditional Onam sadya from August 20 to August 22.
Price: Rs 2,250 plus taxes, Call: 86575 22956/022 61628422/022 61628000

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