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രുചിയുടെ ഓണം Onam Recipes

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                                                     നിലവിളകിന്റെ പരിശുദ്ധിയും
                                             തുമ്പ പൂവിന്റെ നൈർമല്യവുമായ് 
                                              വരുന്ന പൊന്നിൻ ചിങ്ങ മാസത്തിലെ പൊന്നോണം 
                                               വരവേൽകാൻ നിറഞ്ഞ സ്നേഹത്തോടെ 
                                                എന്റെ  ഓണാശംസകൾ

             Wishing you all Happy and  Prosperous Onam 
Another onam is coming to knock on our door; yes this year’s onam is visiting us on 16th of September. Onam is famous harvest festival celebrated in my home town Kerala, South India. In olden days it was 10 days festival, now it is celebrated mainly on thriuovonam day that is second onam which is the big day. Some will still celebrate, day before onam, onnam onam/first day of onam or uthradam. Second day is thrivonam, and then moonam onam/3rdday onam and finally Nalam onam or4th day of onam.
Onam also got lot of modernization, as I was reading people dress like Maveli (According to legend, King Mahabali comes from visits Kerala on Thriuvonam day to see his disciples on earth from pathala)  in front of textile shop and jewelry shops. Also lots of them are coming in TV channels. Tradition of making atthapookalm also got modern version and modern design with color powders etc. Traditionally atthapookalam/floral carpet is made with flowers only and around 10 layers will be there. Each layers representing Hindu Gods, First step is Ganesha, second is Shiva and Shakti, third is Shiva, fourth is Brahma, fifth is Pancha Boothangal/land, water, sky, air and Fire , sixth is for Shanmughan or Muruga, seventh step is for Guru, eighth step is for ashta digpalakar, ninth is for Indra and tenth is for Lord Vishnu. At the center of the floral decoration, the clay idol of Vamana, known as Thrikkakkarayappan, is placed. There is also a belief that the floral carpet symbolically represents the fight between Asuras (demons) and Devas (Demi gods) and flowers used to decorate also vary depending upon the locally available during that time. Nowadays, people are more concentrated on design part and not worrying about layers. While I was talking to Suja my friend she told me we can even get a readymade pookalam just like our plastic Christmas tree from the market now.
Okay my favorite part of onam after new clothes and fun is the feast, yes delicious vegetarian feast of about 20 items in various tastes. Each will give your taste buds different tastes. Since lunch is going to be heavy, breakfast is always smaller version, like pazham nurukku or poovada which is offering to the God on Thiruvonam day.  Even though Onam is celebrated all over the Kerala, tastes differ from north to south and also differ in central part of Kerala. According to famous cook Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri, each dish has its own purpose. In order to prevent the sourness of kalan, the olan a mildly spiced curry is served. After tasting each curry if you taste olan you will able to detect the taste of next curry easily. You can taste puliinji before starting everything as it helps to increase your appetite. In order to serve the food also there is some traditional way, first you need to eat rice, parippu and sambhar, then rasam, then Payasam, then  Moru/ Yougurt.
You will be amazed to see the variation of same dishes in throughout Kerala; spiciest curries will be served in Kozhikode, Northern Kerala. Also sambar is cooked with grated coconut in northern part of Kerala. Payasam is made with palada and parippu pradhaman. Whereas in Southern part of Kerala, there a pineapple pachadi and vadakootu curry is must.  We also like to serve parippu curry and Pradhaman especially Ada Pradhaman (made with thickened rice noodles) and also instead of kalan we like to serve pulissery. In the middle region of Kerala, they like to serve with Kurukku kalan and Palada Pradhaman, where as in northern part, Kootu curry, sambhar made with coconut and Aviyal made with yogurt is the norm, sometimes Pazham kalan (kalan made with fruits) will be in the menu. Among the pickles, Vadukapuli Naranga achar (Wild lemon pickle) is famous for Onam along with pulinji( ginger pickle) and Mango pickle.
Furthermore every part of Kerala seems to have certain rules of how dishes are served on the banana leaf.  The food is first served on the extreme tip end of each banana leaves (as we call it Nakila), usually they start serving from left to right, in top part of leaves, starting with , salt, pickles,  thoran, aviyal, olan,aviyal, kichadi, pachadi and Erissery. Bottom part, from left to right, is small banana, chips, pappadam and rice into the rice add, ghee, parippu curry. Once you finished parippu curry add sambhar, rasam, kalan and Pradhaman, finally sambhar or water down yogurt.  A   good food enthusiastic banana leaves only have some leftovers on the curry leaves after he or she finish their lunch. 
This year I am planning to make Onam sadya on Uthradam day as Thiruvonam comes on working day, however I will make a Payasam /pudding on that day to offer it to God.
Here are the list of tried and trusted recipes from my kitchen from my mom and grandma. I know everybody have their own mom and grandma’s recipes.
Sambar /  Lentil tamarind gravy with mixed vegetables

 Rasam /  Tamarind  tomato  spicy 

Aviyal /Mixed vegetables with coconut.
Yogurt Based curries
Moru curry /Yogurt Gravy

  Mambazha pulissery/ Ripe mango in yogurt gravy
Ethapazha pulissery/Ripe plantain in yogurt gravy

Krukku Kalan/ Yogurt based raw banana coconut gravy

 Vada Kootu curry


Mathanga Erissery/Pumpkin in coconut sauce 

Olan

CCB thoran/CCB stirfry 

Cabbage Thoran/Uppeari

Yard long beans Carrot stir fry 

Vendakka thoran/ Okra stir fry

Ethakka chakkakuru Mezhukupuratti/Plantain Jackfruit seeds Stir fry 

Pickles (Achar)

Manga achar/Mango pickle 

 Nelliaka achar/Indian gooseberry pickle 

Naranga  achar/ Lemon pickle 

 Pradhaman/ Sweet pudding

Kadala parippu prathaman/chana dal jaggery pudding

  Semiya payasam/Vermiceli pudding

Chakka Pradhaman/chakka payasam/ Jackfruit preserve pudding


Ada pradhaman/ Rice flakes sweet pudding 

Palpayasam: Milk rice pudding

Forbidden rice/Black rice pudding 

Aval Payasam/ Flattened rice flake pudding 

Pazham Padhaman/ Apple banana pudding

Banana Chips/Plantain Chips/Ethakka upperi chips

Karingali Vellam/ChukkuVellam/Dahashamani/Herbal Water

  Other Onam posts
Onam 2012
Onam 2011
Onam 2010

 

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  1. Manjula Bharath says

    wow thats an awesome onam platter 🙂 looks super yummy dear !! very very delicious collection !

    Reply

  2. Nik Sharma says

    What a fantastic and delicious collection of recipes and dishes! Love them all.

    Reply

  3. Vicky says

    Wow! This is a feast! Wonderful food Swathi! I'm going to explore these recipes!

    Reply

  4. PrathibhaSreejith says

    Hi Swathi, Wishing you and family a very happy onam !!!
    nice collection of recipes 🙂

    Reply

  5. Curry Leaf says

    Wishing You and Family a wonderful and Prosperous ONAM. Tasty Sadya this is. I enjoyed Onam in Trivandrum. especially the lights in secretariate and hill palace. It was perfect

    Reply

  6. mjskit says

    another fabulous post and YUMMY food! Happy Onam!

    Reply

  7. Suja Md says

    You had an excellent collection of recipes...love it dear!

    Reply

  8. Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says

    I always love seeing everything you make Swathi! So delicious and a great collections!

    Reply

  9. Sweet Tooth Raf says

    this is awesome!!! love the spread... oru sadya unda sughamundu... 🙂

    Reply

  10. Suja Manoj says

    Wish you and family a happy and prosperous Onam,lovely collection dear

    Reply

  11. Reni says

    OMG lovely spread ! love each of them !

    Reply

  12. Gayathri Ramanan says

    fantastic spread...nice collection..Happy Onam swathi

    Reply

  13. Nithya Naveen says

    Wonderful spread .. lovely collection of recipes.. Happy Onam Swathi..

    Reply

  14. Rebecca Subbiah says

    Happy Onam and wow love Indian festivals for the food ha always enjoy pongal there

    Reply

  15. Elisabeth Foodandthrift says

    Hi Swathi, I enjoyed reading your post and getting more familiar with your Kerala traditions for this wonder Onam festivities. I would love to share with you any one of these amazing collection of awesome and delectable dishes you prepared so lovingly for your family!
    Happy Onam, dear friend! xo

    Reply

  16. hemalata says

    Nice collection of recipes, looks so Delicious.
    Happy Onam dear!

    Reply

  17. Nilu A says

    Wow! Awesome collection of festive recipes Swathi.. Advance wishes for Onam dear.. Hugsxx

    Reply

  18. Premas Culinary says

    wow wonderful collection dear,sure it will help for the festival...

    Reply

  19. Harini M says

    Wow that's quite a meal.What a lovely collection,wish you a very happy onam 🙂

    Reply

  20. Rumana Ambrin says

    lovely collection of recipe:)

    Reply

  21. Rani Acharyulu says

    That is true Wow mouth watering here,all recipes are so tempting.Happy Onam to you and your lovely family.

    Reply

  22. sangeetha pn says

    Such an awesome collection 🙂 Hats off 🙂

    Reply

  23. Happys Cook says

    Wow.. Lovely collection of recipes... Yet to try some more...

    Reply

  24. Babitha costa says

    what a virtual treat swathi,makes me feel hungry

    Reply

  25. Mahi says

    Happy Onam to you and your family! ENjoyed all your recipes for sadhya!

    Reply

  26. Sangeetha Priya says

    wonderful collection of recipes n happy onam in advance Swathi...

    Reply

  29. Manjula Bharath says

    wow thats an fabulous spread and looks so yummy dear 🙂 very inviting!!

    Reply

  30. Radha Natarajan says

    One of the best post ever on sadya! happy Onam to you! Hats off on the huge varieties ! I am particularly fond of Kerala festivities as my mom is from Palakkad and we celebrated Onam and Vishu, though a Tamilian. Loved your description in the log about the details. Normally I never read blogs but go straight to the recipes , yours is N exception as the details of the festivals was more and unlike other blogs there was less personal details and more on subject. Refreshing ! Am adding some dishes too in my blog but am just 4 months old o food blogging so not much done yet! Your post was inspiring.

    Reply

  31. Maha Gadde says

    oh..my God....Only WOW..Hw patience ur...so many recipes...n very very tempting..nice useful post..

    Reply

  32. Meena Kumar says

    Ahhha Swathi nalla oru sadhya unda prathidi und!
    Happy Onam !
    Love vada kootu curry.

    Reply

  33. Vimitha Anand says

    Awesome collection will definitely try some dear

    Reply

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