It is Onam tomorrow and the most loved part about the festival is feasting on the traditional sadhya. People give up strict diets, meal plans and restrictions to have the elaborate meal. Served on a banana leaf, eaten while seated cross-legged on the floor, what follows is an intense food-coma. An ideal sadhya has a kootu teamed with the fat-grained Kerala red rice, inji curry, olan, kalan, avial, thoran, sambhar, rasam, chips, papadam and atleast two varieties of payasam. This delicious spread is consumed with a glass of warm jeeraga-vellam (water boiled with cumin seeds, which gives it a golden yellow hue) by the side. If you are not in Kerala this time for the Onam sadhya, do not feel bad. We present a list of best places to eat at your heart’s content.
Ente Keralam (Poes Garden, Anna Nagar and MRC Nagar)
They serve one of the best traditional sadhya with cooks flown in from Kerala. Multi-faceted chef- cum-priest, Unnikrishnan Namboodiri and his team who have come to the city for preparing a gala feast this year. Ente Keralam will be serving a special assortment of two payasams, two pradhaman, four kinds of fried chips, four unique pickles,kaalan, olan, thoran, errusery, avial, sambhar, rasam and more. It doesn’t get more authentic than this one!
Jonah’s Goes to Malabar Coast, Anna Nagar East
Well, the name says it all. But you have to go to there to believe it! While the place is more popular for Chef Anand’s fusion creations and innovation, it surely does serve a great sadhya during Onam. The curries, sambhar and payasam taste delicious. Of course, a few innovations are guaranteed. Give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed
Kuttanad, Adyar
The relatively small space of the interiors of Kuttanad shouldn’t fool you into thinking that the food is not delicious. Known for serving a wide variety of dishes from Kerala, this place has been popular haunt for sadhya.
Madras, The Raintree, Anna Salai
The restaurant serves delectable food and will be serving Onam sadhya for a week till September 19. Chef Suresh Nayar known for cooking authentic Kerala cuisines for the royal families in Travancore, Kochi and Samoothiri is present with his team to serve authentic stuff. They will have all the traditional vegetarian delights in addition to, Chemmeen Pollichathu, Thalasseri Kozhi Curry, Meen Vattichathu, Nadan Kozhi Curry, Malabar Mutton Curry, Kuttanadan Mutton Curry, Thalasseri Kozhi Curry, Konchu Theeyal and many more.
