A Culinary Celebration

COME ONAM, it is time for hotels, clubs and of late, even residents' assocations in the city to come up with festivals of the culinary kind. The traditional 'Onasadya' is served in detailed or abridged versions, the common factors being that the menu is served on the traditional plantain-leaf. The contents of the 'Onasadya' have been altered over the years to suite the changes in tastes and ways of life, but this grand feast still holds the pride of place in the Onam celebrations. The 'sadya' is served in the end-cut of a plantain leaf ('thoosanila'), laid with the end to the left, while the partakers sit on mats laid on the floor.

Traditionally, the ninecourse 'Onasadya' comprises chips (upperi'), pickles, pappads, dry vegetables ('thoran'), assorted vegetables ('avial'), condiments ('thodukarikal'), sauces ('ozhikarikal'), porridges ('paayasam'/ 'pradhaman'), supplements ('rasangal') and beverages.

Gourments aver that the combination of ingredients, method of preparation, type of vessels for the 'onasadya' and the sequence of serving are designed to add flovour and nutritive values to the food. In fact, the plantain leaf itself is a clean and ecofriendly disposible plate, which is recommended by Ayurveda and naturotherapy.

The 'Upperi' is prepared in advance from raw bananas ("kaaya'), yam ('chena'), jackfruit ('chakka'), bitter-gourd ('paavakya'), etc. by flying slices in coconut oil to a crisp condition.

'Sarkarapuratti', which are banana cubes crisp-friend in coconut oil and coated with syrup made from jaggery ('sarkara'), is also an essential item of the 'onasadya' - Pickles made from mango, lemon, ginger, chillies and 'curry naranga' are made well in advance of Onam to allow time for these to mellow. 'Kichadi' and 'pachadi' fall in the category of condiments and these are prepared from vegetables such as pineapple, cucumber, brinjal, ladies-finger, bitter-gourd, etc. Items such as 'parippu', 'erissery', 'saambar', and 'kalan' fall in the category of 'ozhikkarikal'.

Apparently, the most looked-forward-to items in the 'onasadya' are the 'paayasams' and the 'pradhaman'. Prepared from rice, split green-grams, rice pasta ('ada") etc., with milk and sugar or jaggery in various combinations, 'paayasam' is the traditional desert for the 'onasadya'.

Gourments aver that morsels of pickles taken in between the 'payasams' (there are at least two 'payasams' in an any real 'onasadya') increase the lingering taste of the unique dessert.

Last but not least, beverages are also an important constituent of the 'onasadya'. Water boiled with cumin seeds ('jeerakam') dried ginger ('chukku') or 'karingali' is traditionally served for drinking.

The KTDC comes up with a well-publicised 'paayasamela' at its well located Chaitram Hotel in Thampanoor during the Onam week . Last year, the hotel offered 'paaladapradhaman', 'pazhapradhaman', 'adapradhaman' and 'paalpayasam' at a specially erected stall on its premises. The KTDC's flagship hotel in the city, Hotel mascot, also offered six varieties of payasam including 'ada', 'palada' and wheat at a special counter.

Hotel Lucia at East Fort also rises to the occassion during Onam. Last year, it offered a whopping 25 varieties of 'payasams' to customers.

These ranged from 'inchipayasam', 'mathangapayasam', pineapple'payasam', 'paneer payasam', yam 'payasam' and mango 'payasam'.

Hotel South Park also does not let the occassion pass without a culinary celebration.

This posh hotel comes up with an Onam menu in its buffet to coincide with the festivities.