Serve right, sit well as you feast on Onam

Onam is here and this is the time when Keralites all over the world relish the grand ‘Onasadya’ (onam feast) which is a celebration of flavours.

As per Ayurveda, sadya, which is dominated by the basic tastes of sweet, bitter, sour, salty, spicy and umami (savoury taste), is a well-balanced meal.

Onam feast is traditionally served on a banana leaf, preferably a 'thooshanila' or the part including the tip of the leaf which is light and nimble. The fresh banana leaf enhances the flavour of the various dishes and curries that are served hot on it. The leaf should be laid in such a way that its tip should be towards the person’s left. The dishes which are served from the left to right should, however, be eaten in the opposite direction. Traditionally one should sit on the floor, in the ‘arthapadmamsana’ position (half-lotus pose in yoga), facing the east direction, to relish the sadya. Experts say that this sitting position helps to ease the digestive process.

On the tip of the thooshanila, a ripe banana, salt, banana chips, sarkara varatty (plaintain chips with jaggery) and papad are served. There is an explosion of flavours on the upper half of the banana leaf where pickles including mango and lime, inji curry (ginger curry), kichadi, pachadi, thoran (stir fry) and aviyal are all served.

Rice is served hot only after the person seats himself to eat. Parippu (dal curry) is served on top of the hot rice with a dash of ghee. Spicy erisserry, avial, thoran and papad make the perfect combination with the dal. Sambar, which is also spicy, comes next and it should be eaten with the ‘mathura’ curry which has a hint of sweetness, and pachidi and kichadi which has curd as a main ingredient. Payasam, which is the dessert, follows and has to be relished by mashing the ripe banana into it.

To get over that extra sweetness from the payasam, one can taste a bit of those mango or lime pickle. Some more rice is served next which is to be eaten with pulissery and kaalan. The grand feast can be ended by either drinking the rasam and buttermilk which follows or by having a little bit of rice with it.

Banana chips and sarkara varatty

For the onasadya, these chips are prepared by cutting the plantain into four, rather than the commonly seen round shaped ones, and then fried to crisp.

Mango and lime pickles

The pickles would be served again after serving payasam to get over the extreme sweet taste of the dessert.

Inji thairu

It is believed that this traditional dish is equal to thousand dishes for its incredible flavours. However, this dish is generally absent from the sadya these days.

Inji curry

Inji curry is served first on the banana leaf but it is eaten only at the end of the feast. Ginger which has amazing medicinal properties helps to ease the digestive process and is a remedy against food poisoning as well.

Parippu and ghee

Kerala parippu curry is a delicious moong dal curry made with coconut and spices.

Olan

It is a light and subtle-flavoured dish prepared from white gourd, ash-gourd or black-eyed peas, coconut milk and ginger seasoned with coconut oil.

Khichadi

As it does not consist of strong spices, khichdi is always easy on stomach and intestines.

Pachadi

Pachadi refers to a traditional South Indian raita served as a side dish. Broadly translated, it refers to food which has been pounded.

Sambar

Sambar contains lots of fibre which also helps the digestive system.

Kalan/Pullisserry

Kaalan is a dish made of yogurt, coconut, and vegetables tuber like yam and raw plantain.

Avial

A mixed vegetable curry in a spiced coconut and yogurt sauce, it is light on the stomach but full of flavours.

Erissery

Merger between sweetness of pumpkin and coconut takes your taste buds to another level.

Thoran

Prepared with cow peas, thoran is loaded with nutrients, is rich in fiber, iron, proteins, vitamins and contains many anti-oxidant properties.

Rasam

Presence of abundant minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and copper in this humble bowl of goodness makes it an elixir for stomach.

Sambaram/moru

This spicy buttermilk is served at the end to aid digestion and helps regulate body temperature too.

Payasam

This dessert boosts immunity and purifies blood. Jaggery contains high amounts of iron and enhances the total haemoglobin count if consumed regularly.

Chukku vellam

Warm water soothes the throat. Chukku or dry ginger is a digestive agent, a reliever of gas. Jeera or cumin helps in blood purification.