Onam

Onam – the beautiful festival of flowers, folk songs and temple visits. Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala. Spanning over 14 days, this festival is celebrated by people all over Kerala, irrespective of caste and religion. A charming story – whether true or imaginary is anybody’s guess – lies behind the festival and the culinary delights that await the culmination of the festival are rich, varied and heavenly. 

The Legend

Legend has it that there was once a king called Mahabali. The brave king was so adept, kind, just and competent and his golden rule was so full of joy and peace that even the Gods became insecure and jealous. This jealousy finally ended with Mahabali getting pushed to the nether world by Lord Vishnu, who wanted to maintain the status quo between Earth and the heavens. Unfair? Probably. Touching? Definitely! Sad as the tale is, Onam is the day when Mahabali, the king, is allowed to visit his rightful subjects. He does this once every year and festivities start 10 days before, with elaborate flower rangolis (patterns) adorning the entrance of every house.  

Time to eat

Breakfast is a light affair with ‘adas’ which are steamed rice cakes filled with coconut stuffing. Then, the women of the house prepare elaborate dishes for the sumptuous feast. 

The delectable spread you find during onam is designed to indulge every sense. First off, there are the crispy banana chips – the sweet and salty variety. Both are equally tasty and you just can’t have enough of these.  

Next comes the actual lunch, which is mostly a vegetarian affair and is served on banana leaves. Rice takes center stage and the number of curries that go on the leaf is enough to make you gasp. There is the sour, tangy ‘Pulissery’, which is made from a paste of coconut and curd; then there is the aviyal, a tender preparation of newly harvested vegetables mixed with coconut. There is the velvety stew cooked to perfection in coconut milk and the delightful ‘pachadis’ (vegetables in thin gravy).

Large puffed papads (deep fried disks of dal) wait patiently at the side, begging to be eaten. 

Feel like you don’t have enough on your plate – er, leaf? There is a vast array of pickles to excite the palate. Ranging from hot tender mango pickle to lemon pickle, the selection caters to every taste. 

Finish off without something sweet? No way! Enter the ubiquitous ‘Kheer’. There is the white ‘Kheer’ made from milk and rice, or the brown ‘kheer’ made from jaggery and dal or jaggery and rice. Each one is unique, distinctive in taste and simply delicious.  

After such a fare, if you can go on without a siesta, you deserve a prize!  

Onam has various shades of personal symbolism for the Keralite. It reminds one of the values of truth, honesty and the spirit of giving. The food also resonates with these messages, as it requires quite a bit of effort and dedication to make it!