ONAM RECIPES
The state of Kerala is known for its rich traditions and exotic cuisine. The food prepared on Onam day is known as "Onasadhya" and is an impressive spread of delicacies which are served in banana leaves. The dishes are to be served in a particular order only. The plantain leaf should also be placed in a particular manner. First the deep fries called "Upperies" are served. Then comes the side dishes like curries, pappads, pickles and desserts like payasam,etc. Of course, rice is the main course. Plantain fruit is also served without fail. Onam is an important harvest festival that is celebrated in Kerala with great pomp and it attracts people from far and near. It is celebrated by the Malayalis from around the world. Boat races are an important event during this festival time. Onam is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam which is the ending of August and beginning of September. The Pookkalams , that is flower arrangements are also an important part of this festival. Keralites irrespective of caste and religion celebrate Onam with great pleasure and joy. Onam is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, who is believed to come back to visit his people on the Thiruvonam day.
Our specially collected Onam recipes shall help you to prepare Onasadhya with ease and serve guests and relatives with great hospitality.
PALADA PRATHAMAN 
Ingredients
Milk
4 cup
Water
2 cup
Condensed milk
1 cup
Butter
2 tbsp
Ada
1/4 cup
Sugar
1/2 cup
Method
- Boil ada by putting it in 2 to 3 cup boiling water.
- Keep it covered for 30 minutes.
- Drain water from the ada, completely.
- Heat butter in a pan and fry ada to a golden color. Keep it aside.
- Boil milk and water in a sauce pan. Add boiled ada and reduce heat to low medium, while stirring all the time.
- Keep stirring until milk is reduced by 2/3rd.
- It takes about 1-½ hours to prepare the dish and now, the color of pradaman should be golden.
- Add condensed milk to it and cook for 5-10 minutes more.
- Add sugar and mix it well. Remove from flame.
- Serve warm.
TOMATO RASAM
Ingredients
Red gram daal
3-4 tbsp
Tomatoes finely chopped
4 large
Garlic paste
1/2 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger
1 piece
Water
2 1/2 cups
Garlic grated
1 tbsp
Green chillies finely chopped
1 or 2
Corainder leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
Chili or pepper powder to taste
Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds
1 tbsp
Cumin seeds
1 tbsp
Whole dried red chili halved
1-2
A pinch asafetida
Few curry leaves
Oil
2 tbsp
Method
- Pick, wash and pressure cook the daal and keep side.
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili and asafetida.
- When mustard seeds start to splutter add garlic, ginger, tomatoes and green chilies.
- Add salt, chili & turmeric powder and a cup of water.
- Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the cooked daal and 11/2 cup of water and bring to boil.
- Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
BANANA HALWA
Ingredients
Ground nutmeg
1/2 tbsp
Pure ghee
1 tbsp
Bananas ripe, peeled and mashed
3 meduim
Sugar
1 cup
Method
- Heat the ghee in a heavy pan.
- Add bananas and cook over low heat, stirring to prevent the mixture from sticking. Cook for 10 minutes, or until bananas have browned and resemble soft toffee. Add more ghee as neccessary.
- Add sugar and continue stirring until dissolved
- Add nutmeg and cardamom; remove from heat.
- Spread halwa into a deep, large plate. Allow it to cool and cut into squares.
COCONUT CHUTNEY
Ingredients
Grated tender coconut
1 cup
Green chilies
2-3
Garlic
4 pieces
Tamrind
2 tbsp
Method
- Grate the coconut.
- Add to it Green-Chillies and garlic.
- Also add the tamarind and very little water.
- Now grind coarsely all the ingredients in a mixer.
- Put salt to taste and the chutney is ready.
DRY FRUIT KESARI
Ingredients
Dry fruits
1/2 cup
Rava
1/2 cup
Sugar
3 tbsp
Ghee
2 tbsp
Cardamom powder
1 pinch
Almonds
6
Water
1 cup
Food color optional
3-4
Method
- Stir-fry Rava with 1 tsp ghee on low flame till the smell of raw grain goes.
- Set it aside for later use. Saute dry fruits for 5-10 seconds in a pan with 1 tbsp ghee on low flame
- Add water, sugar, cardamom powder and food color to them and increase heat to high flame.
- Add roasted rava to boiling water slowly and smoothen out any lumps and mix well.
- Reduce heat and keep stirring continuously till the mixture is cooked.
- One can know that the mixture is cooked when it starts coming off the pan easily.
- Grease a plate and pour 'kesari' into it. Let it cool and get set.
- Cut it into smaller pieces and garnish it with an almond.
- Kesari is now ready to be served.
MASALA DOSA
Ingredients
Rice
1 1/2 cups
Urad dal
1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Potatoes
2 large
Onion chopped
1 medium
Yellow spilt peas
1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp
Turmeric
1/2 tbsp
Green chili
1-2
Oil
1 tbsp
Method
- Separately soak rice and urad dal at least 6 hour or overnight in water.
- Grind to paste. Mix together, add salt with water to make batter.
- Leave in room temperature overnight. Mix onion and chilies to the thin batter.
- Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil. Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
- Cook on both the sides, if desired. Heat oil.
- Add mustard seed, peas, onions and spice.
- Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat or/until onions are turned into golden brown
- Add potatoes and mix and cook some more. Add filling inside Dosa and roll.
- Serve hot with Chutney.
MOR KUZHAMBU
Ingredients
Green chilies slit
4-5
Cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp
Corainder seeds
2 tbsp
Turmeric powder
1 tbsp
Coconut shredded
2-3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds
1 tbsp
Curry leaves
1 sprig
Oil for seasoning
Method
- Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric to the buttermilk and mix well.
- Add water if the buttermilk is too thick.
- Add salt and heat on a low flame till the buttermilk reaches room temperature.
- Take it from the fire and set aside. Roast in a little oil, one by one, the coconut, the remaining turmeric,jeera, coriander and green chillies.
- Blend to a smooth paste.
- Add this coconut paste to the warm buttermilk, put it back on the stove and heat for approximately 4-5 minutes. Season it with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
ERISSERY
This is either prepared from pumpkins/red beans or from yam and raw bananas cubes. The spices used in this include split green chillies, ground coconut, cumin seeds, turmeric and red chillies. Erissery is seasoned with mustard seeds spluttered in oil. This is a main stay for the occasion, though not very popular these days.
Ingredients
Yam cut into small pieces
60 gms
Big raw banana
1 no
Pepper powdeer
1 tbsp
Turmeric powder
1/4 tbsp
Water
1 cup
Salt to taste
Grated coconut
1/2 coconut
Cumin seeds a pinch
Ghee
10 gm
Coconut oil
1 tbsp
Mustard seeds
1/4 tbsp
Method
- Split the banana lengthwise into 3 pieces. Do not peel the skin. Cut it into small pieces.
- Boil yam and banana with pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt in 1 cup of water. Grind one fourth quantity of grated coconut and cumin seeds together and add to it.
- Grind the remaining coconut and saute in a low flame till brown in colour. Keep it aside.
- Season mustard seeds in ghee. Add the coconut oil, seasoned mustard seeds and the sauted coconut to the vegetable mixture. Mix well.
KALAN
This is prepared from buttermilk. Ingredients consist of sliced plantains called nenthra-kaya and yams or chena. These are boiled in water with salt and chillies. It is flavoured with ground coconut and mustard seeds spluttered in oil. Some even add cucumber cubes to Kalan.
Ingredients
Yam cut into small pieces
100 gms
Small raw banana
1 no
Green chillies
3 nos
Mashed yogurt
1/2 litre
Grated coconut
1/2 qty
Cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp
Pepper powder
1 tbsp
Water
1 cup
Turmeric powder
1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Fried and powdered fenugreek
1/2 tbsp
Ghee
3 tbsp
Dried chilli
2 nos
Mustard
1 tbsp
Curry leaves
1 sprig
Method
- Remove the skin of the plantain and slice it into small pieces.
- Grind the coconut and cumin to a smooth paste without adding water. Keep it aside.
- Dissolve the pepper powder in 1/2cup of water and strain it through a clean cloth. Cook the vegetables in this water.
- Add the turmeric powder and salt. Stir well. When the water dries, add 1tsp ghee.
- Pour the yogurt and mix well. Lower the flame. When the curd boils and becomes dry and thick, add the grinded coconut mixture and fenugreek powder into it. Stir well.
- Brings to a boil and remove from fire. Season with mustard, dried chillies and curry leaves.
PULISSERY
Ingredients
Pine apple chunks
10 oz
Yogurt
4 cups
Turmeric powder
3/4 tbsp
Salt
1 tbsp
Red chilli powder
1/4 tbsp
Cumin powder
1 tbsp
Water
2 cups
Curry leaves
1 stem
Red chilies
2 no
Mustard seed
1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds
Oil for seasoning
Method
- Cook pineapple in water with salt and turmeric powder until tender.
- Add cumin powder while cooking. Reduce water to about 1 cup. Turn the heat to very low.
- Add the yogurt to the mixture. Mix well and turn the heat off.
- Season with oil, mustard seed, red chili, fenugreek seed and curry leaves.