Keralite chef on the nuances of Onam sadya and our guide to best sadyas in Mumbai

Olan

For the uninitiated, an Onam sadya can be a maze, points out chef Marina Balakrishnan, who dishes out elaborate Keralite meals through her venture Oottupura. "Onam is all about how many courses of sadya you're offering," says the chef. On the sadya banana leaf, every item is placed for a purpose. "It's more than a thing of beauty; each component has a role to play. For instance, salt or uppu is served first. Why? In the old days, people used to say that you don't want an evil eye on the banana leaf because it's so beautiful. It's also placed on your leaf in case you want to add salt to balance the flavours," she illustrates.

Chef Marina Balakrishnan

From naranga achar (lemon pickle) and inji puli (a digestive) to avial (a medley of vegetables and grated coconut), red rice, sambar, rasam and different kinds of pachadis, sadya servings are all doled out in small portions. In fact, according to Ayurveda, sadya is the embodiment of balance of flavours - sweet, salty, bitter, astringent and sour, she informs us. "There are so many items on the banana leaf. Smaller portions help reduce wastage. Moreover, you won't do justice to all preparations if you eat too much of each. For example, if you're eating inji puli, you're not mixing the whole thing into your rice. You're tasting it with your fingertips in between courses so that the sweet-sour-spicy notes help you to work through the rest of the meal, instead of feeling too full," she elaborates.

Of all of the 25-plus items in a sadya, olan is an underdog preparation that's the star of a sadya for Balakrishnan. "It's made with coconut milk and white pumpkin. It's so delicate that it usually takes a backseat. But the flavours are beautiful and subtle. A sadya is incomplete without it," she reveals, sharing with us the recipe.

Olan

Ingredients
. 1 small ash gourd
. 1 cup coconut milk (first extraction)
. 1.5 cups coconut milk (second extraction)
. 3/4 cup water
. Salt
. 2 slit green chillies
. 1 sprig curry leaves
. 2 tbsp coconut oil

Method
Cut the ash gourd into small cubes and cook in water, adding salt. You can also pressure-cook it for three whistles. Drain and add the second extraction of coconut milk, along with green chillies. Cook on a medium flame until it thickens. Now, tip in the first extraction of coconut milk, and sprinkle coconut oil and curry leaves. Cook for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Let it rest in the pot for an hour.

Feast away, the traditional way

Delux Hotel is a must-visit old-school Kerala food hall, which is serving a 26-item sadya that's available for take-away as well as dine-in.

On August 21
At 10-A, Pitha Street, opposite lane of CitiBank, Fort.
Call 22042351
Cost Rs 470 for take-away; Rs 420 for dine-in

Chembur-based Hotel Sunny's sadya, apart from their buff fry and biryani, comes heavily recommended by our in-house Keralite.

On August 21; book take-away by today
At Shop 43, Shell Colony Road, Chembur.
Call 25225616
Cost Rs 800 for take-away

From Malabar kadala curry to pumpkin erissery, indulge in a traditional sadya prepared by St Regis Mumbai, which will be delivered to you,
at your doorstep.

On August 20 to 22
Call 8657522956
Cost Rs 2,250 onwards

Kalina-based eatery Theeram is welcoming diners for a 28-course sadya, with three kinds of payasams for sweet lovers. They are also setting up pick-up points across the city at Kalina, Powai, Matunga, Goregaon and Chembur, as well as in Thane.

On August 21
At Church Road, near Our Lady of Egypt Church, Santacruz East.
Call 9136606400
Cost Rs 599