8 Kerala Delicacies Every

Onam Sadhya

Feast Must Have

Onam 2026 is finally here, a harvest festival of Kerala celebrated with gratitude, unity, prosperity, and togetherness. As festivals in India are incomplete without food, this celebration also features an essential element: the Onam Sadhya. It is a grand feast served on a banana leaf featuring over 20 dishes, each placed in a specific order to pay homage to King Mahabali. If you are preparing an Onam Sadhya, here are some traditional dishes from Kerala cuisine that you must make for your feast.

A popular and main side dish in Onam Sadhya, Aviyal is known to have been invented by Bheema during the period of the Mahabharata. Aviyal recipe is a colourful assortment of vegetables, where each veggie subtly blends into coconut, spices, and curd, adding texture to the dish without losing its crunch. Tempered with coconut oil and curry leaves, it yields a hearty dish with a perfect balance of flavours and nutrients.

Kootu curry, also known as kootu kari, is a humble and homely curry from Kerala cuisine,  bursting with flavours. It is a thick, curry-based dish made with a combination of vegetables, such as yams and raw plantains, and legumes. The legumes included are black chickpeas or Bengal gram. It is an important dish in Onam Sadhya that stands out for its earthy and nutty flavour. It tastes best when paired with hot steamed rice. 

A South Indian condiment that complements the various dishes in Onam Sadhya. There are different pachadi variants like coconut, beetroot, carrot, tomato and mango. Each variety has a common base of yoghurt, spices, and herbs. The taste ranges from sweet and tangy to sour and spicy, depending on the type you are making, and the consistency of each type varies from chunky to smooth. Creamy yoghurt provides a cooling effect, making the pachadi a soothing counterpart to the spicier curries on the Sadhya feast. 

Puli inji or inji puli is a famous Kerala-style ginger pickle made with ginger and green chillies that are cooked in jaggery-tamarind sauce until it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency. It is a must-serve pickle for Onam Sadhya and can be served with rice. In Sadhya, it is one of the first few dishes served on a banana leaf and adds tangy notes and warmth, balancing savoury, bitter, and sweet dishes. 

Olan is a light and delicious curry made with white pumpkin and cowpeas, cooked in a mildly spiced coconut milk base. It is known for its simplicity and minimal use of ingredients, yet it does not compromise on flavours. It is not overpowering and has a subtle flavour that provides a soothing contrast to the spicier recipes in the Onam Sadhya. Serve it with rice to experience the delicate flavours in a single bite.

Mathanga Erissery, simply known as pumpkin erissery, is a light and refreshing curry and is made with yellow pumpkin, black-eyed peas, coconut and mild spices. Erissery is always served as a part of Onam Sadhya, but it’s also consumed for lunch with rice and papad throughout the year, especially in summers. Its mild flavour, with a slight natural sweetness from pumpkin, is the main reason it’s much loved in the Sadhya feast. 

It is essential to know that dessert is inevitable at any Onam Sadhya. Palada payasam is a creamy rice pudding made with rice ada, milk, and sugar, delicately flavoured with cardamom, and garnished with fried cashews and raisins. It is also known as pink palada payasam due to its beautiful pink hue. It is one of the most delicious and special Onam dessert dishes that one should not miss adding to the Sadhya spread.