Homemade Dishes for Onam Sadya / Onam Feast

During Onam festival this year, my husband was not around and he missed the feast. A couple of days ago, I made  a scaled down version of Onam special dishes for him. Here’s the photo (Homemade dishes are Rice, Cabbage thoran, Ethakka kaalan, Sambar, Avial, Parippu, Mezhukkupuratti, Kadalaparippu payasam & Pappadam) !!

Onam Sadya, 2013

(Rice with ghee and Parippu curry, Kadala Parippu Payasam, Pappadam, Pazham, Banana Chips, Pazham nurukku (naalu vetti), Sarakara puratti, Salt, Lime  - Ginger – Green chilli pickle, Puli Inji, Inji Thayir, Chammanthi podi, Rasam, Avial, Ethakka Kalan, Mathanga Erisseri, Sambar, Beetroot Pachadi, Mathanga mezhukkupuratti &  Mixed begetable thoran )

Recipe links of Paal Payasam, Milkmaid Condensed milk Kheer & Kadala Parippu Payasam for Ona Sadya

Here's the recipe link of Kadala Parippu Payasam (Easy recipe with Maggi Instant Coconut milk powder)

Here's the recipe link of Milkmaid Condensed Milk Kheer

Here's the recipe  link of Paal Payasam / Milk Kheer / Rice kheer (This recipe is more tastier than Condensed milk)

Recipe links of Olan, Parippu Cury, Cabbage Thoran, Vellarikka Pachadi, Moru Curry, Rasam & Chana Mezhukupuratti for Ona Sadya

Here's the recipe link of Olan 

Here's the recipe link of Parippu Curry

Here's the recipe  link of  Cabbage Thoran

Here's the recipe link of Vellarikka Pachadi

Here's the recipe link of Moru Curry/ Moru kaachiyathu

Here's the recipe link of Rasam 

Here's the recipe link of Chena Mezhukupuratti

Ethakka Kalan / Kaalan

Ethakka Kaalan - A very popular traditional dish in Kerala. This is a must have during social events like ona sadya, marriages, festivals etc ... An excellent combo with rice and other accompaniments (like avail, thoran , pappadam…). No added red chilli powder.

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For the  coconut paste:

75 g  (5 / 6 tablespoon) grated coconut

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 green chilli, chopped (1 big size or 2 small size)

Method

Make a paste of grated coconut with jeera and green chilli in a small mixer bowl.  Add 1 - 2 tablespoon water when making the paste. It should be thick and smooth in consistency. Keep aside.

Other main ingredients

1 raw banana / ethakka (big size)  (or 250 g Elephant foot yam / chena / soornu)

100 – 150  ml water

1 teaspoon pepper powder (dilute 1 teaspoon pepper powder in 4 teaspoons of water. Strain it through a fine sieve and use clear pepper water to cook)

½ - 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 pinches turmeric powder

200 ml thick curd (whisk curd until creamy)

1/4 teaspoon uluva podi / methi powder

Method

Wash and clean ethakka (raw plantain). Peel off the skin, wash well and cut into 1/2 - inch cubes. In a bowl, boil ethakka cubes in water (enough water to cover ethakka, up to the level of ethakka) with salt, turmeric powder and clear pepper water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover and cook on a medium to low heat for 12 – 15 minutes until ethakk tender / almost cooked.

When ethakka cubes are well cooked, add coconut paste.  Do not add extra water. Mix it  well and cook on a very low heat for 5 - 7 minutes until it boils well.  

Now add whisked creamy curd.  Stir all the ingredients well.  Please try this method - Cook over a double boiler ( double boiler -a pair of saucepans, one of which fits above and partly inside the other: food is cooked in the upper one by water boiling in the lower and it helps even cooking and curd won’t curdle / thayir pirinju pokathilla). Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 minutes. See the photo given below. Switch off the heat and  sprinkle uluva podi and mix well.

For the  seasoning:

Ingredients

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds / uluva / methi seeds (optional)

1 spring dark green curry leaves or  6 nos

2 dried red chillies, halved

Method

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds (uluva) and halved red chillies. Saute on a low heat for 1 -2  minutes or until crisp. Pour the seasoning over kaalan and serve with rice and other accompaniments like sambar, rasam , avial  …

Sambar for Onam

Homemade Sambar Powder

Makes: 105 g

Ingredients

20 dried red chillies

1 cup (100 g) coriander seeds (dhania)

¼ cup (25 g) chana dal (Bengal gram)

¼ cup (25 g) urad dal

¼ cup (25 g) methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)

1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida / kaayam)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Method

In an iron kadai, dry roast separately dried red chillies, coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal and methi seeds on a low to medium heat. Do not dry roast on high heat. Approximate dry roasting time 20 - 22 minutes until fragrant, slight color change and crisp. Switch off the heat. Finally mix all the dry roasted ingredients together. Add turmeric powder and hing. Stir continuously for 5 minutes. Keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. Transfer these ingredients in a mixer bowl and make a fine powder. If using small mixer bowl, make powder in batches. Store in an airtight container.

The exact quantity of this powder to be added to the sambar depends on ones taste (2 teaspoons sambar powder required for 3 servings (1 medium bowl) . Make in smaller quantity - ie for use for a few times. The fragrance / freshness may be lost if one makes in large quantity and store for longer duration.

Sambar for Onam

A delicious sambar, goes well with Idli / Dosa / Rice / Variety rice …

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For dal :

1/2 cup ( 100 g ) tur dal (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity)

300 ml water

1 teaspoon oil

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 tomato, roughly chopped

Method

For Dal:

Wash and clean tur dal.

In a steel bowl, mix tur dal, water, oil and turmeric powder. Pressure cook tur dal along with water, turmeric powder, oil, onion and tomatoes for 20 minutes. Water level should be 1 - inch above dal - tomato - onion ( reduce heat after 2nd whistle and cook cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.

Open the lid. Gently mash cooked dal- tomato - onion mixture. Adding onion and tomato will make the sambar gravy thick and creamy.

Other ingredients for sambar:

1 teaspoon oil

15 sambar onions (small onion / shallots / chuvannulli in Malayalam / Piyyavu in Konkani / sambar venkayam in Tamil ) or any vegetables of your choice like 2 drumsticks, 1 small piece vellarikka, 5 bhindi, mixed vegetables ... cut all the vegetables in equal size

100 ml (1/2 cup) water

3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)

1 - 2 tablespoon tamarind juice (or 1 - 2 teaspoon thick tamarind paste)

2 1/4 teaspoon 777 brand Madras Sambar Powder/ Eastern / Melam / MTR Sambar powder / homemade sambar powder ( 2 ½ - 2 ¾ teaspoon homemade sambar powder if using ) - Dilute sambar powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside.

For sambar :

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add small onion and fry on a low heat until light pink color.

In a bowl, mix shallow fried onion, (if adding mixed vegetables no need to shallow fry. Cook directly) other vegetables, cooked dal – onion – tomato mixture, tamarind juice / paste, salt to taste and extra 100 ml (1/2 cup) water. Sambar should be of pouring consistency.

Cover with lid and cook on a medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes.

Add diluted sambar powder and boil again for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat to medium heat till done / well cooked. You can find a slight reduction in the quantity of the sambar and nice aroma of sambar powder / sambar thickens (Sprinkle 1 pinch hing if required).

For seasoning :

2 teaspoon cooking oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 spring curry leaves (6 nos)

1 red chilli, halved

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

For seasoning :

Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds. When they start crackle, add curry leaves and halved red chilli. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes and pour this seasoning over sambar. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional). Serve with Idli / Dosa / Pongal / Rice ....

Puli Inji

Puli Inji

Puli Inji is an essential ingredient for Onasadya (feast) - for that matter any sadya connected with auspicious events in Kerala. The main ingredient is ginger which is famous for assisting digestion. It also enhances the flavor and variety in the whole spectrum of dishes served during sadya. Recipe from Vanitha Magazine 2011 !!

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 spring curry leaves

3 medium size dried red chillies

4 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

2 tablespoon finely chopped green chilli

2 teaspoons tamarind paste or ¼ cup / 50 ml tamarind juice (soak a small lemon sized ball tamarind in ½ cup (100 ml warm water and then extract juice). This step is very important.

75 ml water (less than 1/2 cup)

1/4 teaspoon hing (kaayam / asafoetida)

1/2 teaspoon melted and sieved jaggery

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon uluva podi / powder (methi seed powder)

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add broken red chillies and curry leaves and fry till crisp.

Add finely chopped ginger and green chilli and fry on a low to medium heat till golden color and crisp (approximate frying time 15 minutes). At this point, add tamarind paste and water.

Add hing, jaggery, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes or until the gravy thickens / golden brown in color.

Keep aside to cool for 15 minutes and mix with uluva podi (methi seed powder). Consume Puli Inji after 1 - 2 hours. Then it'll absorb all the flavors. Serve with rice.

Onam Ada / Poovada

Onam Ada / Poovada

Ela Ada is traditionally a popular snack in all communities and regions across Kerala. Its taste at the same time simplicity makes it the best choice for all occasions when one think of a traditional snack. Ela ada can be made with a variety of fillings - like coconut and jaggery, flattened rice ( aval or poha) etc - each with minimum ingredients. It is known as Patheli in Konkani cuisine.

A simple variety of Ela Ada / patheli is featured here. All one need is rice flour, jaggery (also without coconut) and a banana leaf. It makes a dish which is very delicious in taste. Basic recipe from Vanitha Magazine. Vanitha is recommending 1/4 cup grated coconut and sugar instead of jaggery.

Makes : 5

Serves : 3 - 5

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) raw rice flour - preferably fresh

3 well ripe bananas (335 g), mash well and keep aside

5 – 6 tablespoon melted and sieved jaggery (or sugar)

1/4 cup (4 tablespoon ) grated coconut (optional)

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon oil

1 banana leaf ( washed and cleaned ) ( Cut banana leaves into 15 cm x 15 cm square pieces). One can make approximately 8 pieces from a banana leaf of normal size.

Method

In a wide bowl, mix mashed well ripe bananas, rice flour, oil and melted and sieve jaggery or finely grated organic jaggery. Mix all the ingredients finely with thick tablespoon and make soft mixture. It should not be like atta dough. It is very soft in consistency. Sprinkle cardamom powder and keep aside.

Clean banana leaf. Smoke this leaf on flame for a few seconds so that it becomes flexible and easy to fold.

Cut banana leaf into 7 - inch square pieces. We required 5 pieces for 5 onam adas.

Take a piece of banana leaf. Keep a lemon sized rice - jaggery portion over it. Gently spread the rice - jaggery mixture (with the help of thick tablespoon or a flat spatula) to form a thin circle of approximately 10 - 12 cm diameter. Now one will see a thin circle of rice – jaggery mixture. Fold into semi circle and seal the edges tightly (see the above photo).

Repeat this process for the remaining dough / filling.

Arrange these raw Onam ads / Patheli in a flat steel bowl and steam in a pressure cooker ( without weight) for 15 - 20 minutes on a low to medium heat or till done / well cooked. One can notice a color change in banana leaf.

Serve hot. Once the banana leaf is peeled, one will get a nice aroma of melted jaggery.

Happy Onam & Recipe links for Onam feast

Happy Onam Wishes to all my readers, mail subscribers, followers, Facebook friends, Twitter followers, Facebook followers ...

Here's the recipe of Parippu Curry



Please find here Vellarikka pachadi



Here's the recipe of Kaalan

Happy Onam

Wish all my readers, mail subscribers, followers, Facebook friends, KAF friends, Twitter friends, supporters,.... a very Happy Onam

Best Regards

Niyaprakash

Parippu Curry for Onam

Parippu curry prepared with a blend of coconut and mild spices and also a delicacy of Kerala Sadya.

Serves: 3

You will need



Green gram dal (Moong dal), washed -1 cup ( 100 g )


Water -2 cups ( 200 ml )
Cooking oil- 1/2 teaspoon


Turmeric powder - 2 pinches


Salt - 3/4 teaspoon ( or to taste )

For Coconut Paste:



Fresh Coconut, grated - 1 cup ( 100 g )


Green chillies - 1 big or 2 small


Jeera -1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Water - 3 tablespoon

Make a smooth and thick paste of coconut in a mixer with water.



For seasoning:



Coconut oil/ oil - 2 teaspoon


Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon


Jeera ( cumin seeds )- 1/2 teaspoon
1 spring curry leaves


Dry red chilli - 2, broken


Method



Wash dal. Drain out water. Spread it over a kitchen towel for drying.

Roast the dal in a dry kadai till light golden color, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.



Place the dal in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Add half teaspoon cooking oil and turmeric powder. Reduce the heat to low after 2 nd whistle and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the ground mixture into the dal, salt to taste and mix well ( add 1/4 cup water if required ) and boil on a low heat for 5 - 8 minutes. mix everything together.

Pour this parippu curry into a serving bowl.

For seasoning:



Heat oil in a pan, add mustard. seeds. When they are spluttering, add curry leaves, jeera and red chilli. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes and fragrant.



Pour the seasoning over parippu curry and serve with choru ( rice ) and other accompaniments ( sambar, kaalan, erisseri, achar, pappadam & payasam .. )

Pineapple Curry / Pineapple Pulisseri for Onam

Pineapple Curry / Pineapple Pulisseri

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Pineapple - 1 cup ( 200 g ), diced to cubes ( smaller or bigger pieces – depending on choice)
Water - 1 cup / 200 ml
Green chilly – 1 small, slit lengthwise
Salt to taste ( or 1/2 teaspoon )
Turmeric powder – A pinch

For coconut paste:

Grated coconut – 5 - 6 tablespoon (60 - 70 g)
Chilly powder – 3/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Water - 2 tablespoon

For seasoning:

Cooking oil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Jeera ( cumin seeds ) – ½ teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds ( methi ) - 1/4 teaspoon ( optional )
Curry leaves – 1 spring (6 nos)

Method


Grind coconut , turmeric powder and chilli powder to a smooth paste ( with minimum water) in a mixer and keep aside.

Boil pineapple pieces with 1 cup / 200 ml of water, green chilly and salt. When it is cooked ( approximately 10 - 15 minutes ), add the ground coconut paste , mix it well and cook for some more time on a very low heat ( approximately 8 - 10 minutes).

For the seasoning:

In a frying pan , heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add jeera, fenugreek ( optional ) and curry leaves. Fry for 2 minutes and pour this seasoning over pineapple curry .

Tips: This makes an excellent side dish with rice. Some add curd to this preparation; but I decided not - as the curry already got a tangy taste from the pineapple.

Snacks for Onam

Banana Chips, Sarkkarapuratti & Kaya Nurukku

Onam is an exclusive local festival of state of Kerala. It marks the homecoming of mythological King Mahabali and is an annual harvest festival. It is a popular festival among the cultural repertoire of Malayalees, and falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August/September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar, and lasts for ten days. Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee–Hindu folktales; but Onam is celebrated by people of all religions .

Featured here are photos of Banana chips , Kaya Nurukku and Sarkarapuratti. These three are inevitable ingredients in any ''Onam meal ".

Sarkaraputatti (Fried- thick slices of unripe banana wrapped in jaggery, cardamom powder and a dash of dry ginger powder ( chukkupodi ) and light brown in color.

Semiya ( Vermicelli ) Payasam for Onam & Onam Greetings

Semiya ( Vermicelli ) Payasam

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 35 minutes
Serves : 8 - 12 dessert cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup /4 oz / 100 g semiya ( vermicelli )
3/4 cup sugar ( 150 g - 175 g or to taste )
1 litre / 1000 ml milk ( do not dilute with water )
1/2 tea spoon ghee ( for frying vermicelli )
1 tablespoon ghee ( for frying frying cashew nuts and raisins )
1 tablespoon cashew nuts ( split )
1 tablespoon raisins
A pinch of cardamom powder

Method

1, Heat ghee in a frying pan. Fry vermicelli on a low heat for 7- 10 minutes or till golden color. Stir continuously. Keep aside.

2, Heat 1 tablespoon ghee and separately fry cashew nuts and raisins on a low heat till golden color. Store in an airtight container.

3, Bring milk to boil in a heavy - bottomed vessel or non - stick saucepan. Add fried vermicelli, cover with a lid and cook / simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4, Add sugar and cook / simmer again for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. You can find a reduction in the quantity and a slight change in the color.... Remove from the heat . Keep aside for 15 minutes. Add fried cashew nuts and raisins. Sprinkle cardamom powder. Serve hot or cold.

Avial / Aviyal

Avial / Aviyal is considered an essential part of any Malayali Sadhya ( feast) and also has a unique place in a typical Kerala Cuisine. It is a thick mixture of a lot vegetables, curd / raw mango and coconut paste. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.

Common vegetables that are used to make aviyal are yam, plantain, drumsticks, carrots etc. Some people prefer to substitute curd with raw mango or tamarind pulp. This dish can be made into a gravy and eaten with rice or be made into a semi-solid side dish. The word "aviyal" is also used to denote an assortment or a mixture - this sense being derived from the way the dish is made.

Serves: 4

You will need

2 drumsticks
1 raw mango or 5 slices
1 potato
1 plantain
2 carrots
5 Long beans or French beans
1 cup water (200 ml)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon coconut oil

For Coconut paste:

1 cup grated coconut ( 100 - 125 g )
4 green chillies
2 pinches turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds ( jeera )
6 curry leaves
2 tablespoon water

Method

Make a thick and rough coconut paste with above ingredients ( except jeera and curry leaves ) in a mixer ( do not add more water when making coconut paste ) and finally add curry leaves and jeera and grind again ( 40 seconds ) to a rough paste.

Cut all the vegetable into 4 -5 cm pieces.

In a bowl, mix all the vegetables pieces with 1 cup water and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes or till 3/4 th done.

Add coconut paste and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes or till done and water completely dries up.

Finally add 2 teaspoon oil and mix well. Serve with rice. Other accompaniments are Sambar, Rasam, Kaalan, Olan, Thoran, Moru Curry, Pickle, Pappadam & Payasam.

Niya's World OnaSadya 2009

Our Onam 2009

Finally, Thiruvonam, the main day of Onam has arrived for which we all were eagerly waiting for. As every year, this day marked with a sense of happiness and joy. Onam has over the years transformed from a harvest festival to that of an all round festival including marketing. But to every Keralalite, this brings back nostalgic memories of festivities and fun during childhood, especially the joint family days - when there were many young children to share the joy and fun.

Our kid also got up early morning today - all excited and fortunately, he got school leave today as well which added to his joy. He got ready immediately wearing new dress, did his pujas and made a small but beautiful “ Pookkalam”.

I too had planned to make this Onam a memorable one. So started making the Onam Sadya in my own humble way. With no help around, I got to slog it out myself. Hence did not go into elaborate one, but I wanted to give my family all the essential dishes of Onam Sadya, on conventional “ Vazhayila” - the banana leaf. The content faces of my husband and son after sadya indicated that my efforts (dishes) were well accepted.

Here are some photos for you.


Pappadam, Sambar , Avial, Parippu and Moru Kaachiyathu



OnaSadya dishes from left to right

Sarkarapurati, Upperi ( banana chips ), Semiya payasam, Paalada, Pappadam, Cabbage Thoran, Avial, Kaalan, Moru Kaachiyathu, Sambar, Parippu, Naranga Achar ( lime pickle ), Cheru pazham & Kuthari Choru

Onam Shopping Festival at Valluvarkottam in Chennai ( 2009 )

A three day Kerala Shopping Festival, was held on 28, 29, 30 August 2009 at the Valluvarkottam in Chennai, in Connection with Onam Festival.

Specialized items such as Arts & Handicrafts, Spices, Cosmetics, Industrial Products (Kerala coir bord products, Ornaments, Textiles etc) and tasty as well as tempting food products such as Banana Chips, Paalada, Unniyappam along with other traditional foods of God’s own Country were available.

I visited the place this morning. Along with the shops, a traditional art theme also was enacted there with a live “Maveli”, the former ruler of Kerala, most fondly remembered by Keralites as the best ever ruler they had and on whose remembrance Onam festival is celebrated. “Maveli” was accompanied by “ Chendamelam” the traditional drums of Kerala. This festival was enriched with a “Pookkalam”, the traditional flower decoration- a must during Onam.

A few photos for you who might have missed it:

Onapookkalam






Maveli


Chendamelam





Instant Rice Ada & Unniyappam


Kuzhalappam




Upperi ( Bananan Chips ) & Sarkarapuratti