After indulging in the lavish Onam sadya and payasam, it’s common to feel the need for lighter, healthier meals to shed any extra weight. The best part? You can easily whip up these dishes using leftovers from the sadya, making your post-Onam detox both convenient and nutritious.

Here are five easy-on-the-tummy Kerala dishes to help with weight loss:

Kanji (rice porridge)
Use leftover red matta rice from the sadya to make this light and comforting rice porridge. Pair it with pachadi (spiced buttermilk) or cherupayar (green gram curry) from the feast for a simple yet nourishing meal that’s rich in fibre.

Traditional rice porridge/payaru kanji. Photo: Shutterstock/Santhosh Varghese
Traditional rice porridge/payaru kanji. Photo: Shutterstock/Santhosh Varghese

Olan
If you have some leftover olan (a mild stew made with ash gourd, cowpeas, and coconut milk), it’s perfect for the next day. Ash gourd is great for detoxing, and the dish is light on the stomach while still offering essential nutrients.

Olan. photo: Onmanorama
Olan. photo: Onmanorama

Thoran
Leftover stir-fried vegetables like cabbage, beans, or spinach from the sadya can be quickly repurposed. Thoran is low-calorie, high in fibre, and you can mix it with fresh vegetables to create a nutrient-packed side dish.

Muringakka thoran. Photo: Jimmy Kamballur
Muringakka thoran. Photo: Jimmy Kamballur

Pacha moru (spiced buttermilk)
Any leftover curd from the sadya can be transformed into pacha moru, a light and refreshing spiced buttermilk drink. Add ginger, curry leaves, and green chilli to aid digestion and cool the body after the heavy festival meals.

Sambharam- spiced buttermilk. Photo: iStock/vm2002
Sambharam- spiced buttermilk. Photo: iStock/vm2002

Koottu curry
With leftover chickpeas or other legumes from the sadya, you can prepare a protein-rich koottu curry. The mix of legumes and vegetables, along with coconut, gives you a filling and healthy meal that supports weight loss.

While from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram it is made with almost all available vegetables, north Keralites use only yam, plantain and chickpeas in their koottu curry. Photo: Shutterstock/RobinsonThomas
While from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram it is made with almost all available vegetables, north Keralites use only yam, plantain and chickpeas in their koottu curry. Photo: Shutterstock/RobinsonThomas

These dishes not only help in resetting after the Onam feast but also make great use of leftovers, minimizing food waste while boosting your health.

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