How To Serve The Onasadhya Feast?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 15:16

When Mahabali ruled the land
Everyone was equal
Happily they lived
Danger befell none
There was no falsehood, or fraud
And no untruth.

Onasadhya is the most elaborate grand and the most delicious part of the grand festival called onasadhya. It's a feast which if enjoyed once is relished for years. Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of festivals called 'Thirufestivals'. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali who is believed to visit Kerala at the time of festivals. This is the most important secular festival of Kerala, enjoyed by Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike.

Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadhya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadhya. So much so that, it has lead to saying, 'Kaanam Vittum Unnanam'. Meaning - men go to the extend of selling all their possessions for one Onasadhya.

Serving On The Occasion -
Rice is the essential ingredient of this Nine Course Strictly Vegetarian Meals. All together there are 11 essential dishes which have to prepared for onasadhya. Number of dishes may at times also go up to 13.

Apart from the presentation of the food, the dishes that are made are really tasty. There are a variety of side dishes like erissery, kalan or pulisseri, olan, aviyal, thoran, mulakoshyam, koottukari, sambar, pachadi, kichadi, rasam, payasam, prathaman, upperi or chips, pickles (achaar) and pappads (pappadam).

There is a distinct order of serving the grand feast of onasadhya. Pappad or Pappadam is to be served on the extreme left. On top of the big pappadum banana is served. From the right pappad - salt, banana wafers, sarkarapuratti fries are served. After this, ginger lime and mango pickles are served. Next comes 'vellarika', 'pavakka', beetroot and 'ullikitchadi'. 'Kitchadi' made of pineapple and banana splits or of grapes and apple is served along with this. On the right, 'cabbage thoran' is served. Then comes a thoran made of beans and avial followed by bread and green peas mix 'thoran'. The meal will be complete with the 'avial' and 'kootu curry'.

Rice is served when the guests seat themselves and just two big spoons is considered enough. After this 'parippu' and ghee is poured. Then comes sambhar. Desserts are to begin with adaprathaman followed by 'Kadala Payasam'. This colourful arrangement on the lush green banana leaf makes the food look even more tempting and irresistible.

The food has to be served on a tender banana leaf, laid with the end to the left. The meal is traditionally served on a mat laid on the floor. Chiefly plantain fruits of various kinds are served along with other articles of food at meals.