Celebrities on which dish they like the most in the Onam sadya

Celebrities on which dish they like the most in the Onam sadya As Onam sadya crawls commence, we ask celebrities which dish has their heart.

Key points

• What sets the Onam sadya apart is its sheer abundance – a lavish multi-course meal served on a fresh banana leaf.
• The ada pradhaman that my father prepares and my mother's parippu curry and pineapple pachadi.
• Then comes the payasam, which to me, defines the quality of the sadya.
• I consider sambar a complete dish since of the ingredients that go into it – the vegetables, parippu (dal), blend of spices.
• It looks so humble – cucumber cut into thin slices and cooked in coconut milk with green chilli giving it slight spiciness.

What sets the Onam sadya apart is its sheer abundance – a lavish multi-course meal served on a fresh banana leaf. From sweet to savoury, curry to crunch, it offers a variety of flavours and textures. Yet, there could be that one dish that makes you love theOnam sadya a little more – something that brings back a delicious memory or simply tickles the tastebuds! MetroPlus speaks to celebrities on their favourite picks from the sadya. Rajashree Warrier Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

Sambar and inji curry. I consider sambar a complete dish since of the ingredients that go into it – the vegetables, parippu (dal), blend of spices. It is so rich in nutrients. I prefer it in gravy form and I can even have rice with just sambar. As for inji curry, I call it a dish that gives the navarasa effect when it comes to taste. Sweetness of jaggery, tanginess of tamarind, and spiciness from ginger and green chillies create it so yummy. I love jaggery and so there is a special love for this dish. But I know that the Travancore version does not employ jaggery. I cannot imagine my inji curry without its sweetness.

Parvatish Pradeep Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

For context, the ada pradhaman that my father prepares and my mother's parippu curry and pineapple pachadi. I am a Malayali born and brought up in Bhopal and my family has always relished the sadya during Onam in the firm of around 100 residents in our neighbourhood. The full course sadya is prepared at my home. Besides my parents and brother, neighbours, most of them north Indians, support with cutting and chopping vegetables. For context, the pradhaman is prepared the traditional way with the ada cooked in coconut milk. We would grate 50-60 coconuts and three extracts of coconut milk go into the payasam. It is not straightforward to secure the right consistency and that is why it is my favourite. The parippu my mother makes is the semi-gravy type cooked with grated coconut and it tastes yummy with a dash of ghee.

Filmmaker Dinjith Ayyathan Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

For context, the whole idea of sadya excites me, may be since I have a preference for vegetarian dishes although I eat a lot of non-vegetarian as well. I have a lot of favourites – avial, olan, koottu curry, sambar, kaalan, and pachadi. I like the avial that has curd going into it to offer the tangy taste. That's how I have it at home. Among the vegetables that go into it, I love carrots and drumstick. And I always ask for multiple serving of avial at any sadya! My wife is from Palakkad and I like their avial additionally. Since her family has her roots throughout the border, it has a Tamil Nadu touchl.

I find olan such an appealing dish. It looks so humble – cucumber cut into thin slices and cooked in coconut milk with green chilli giving it slight spiciness. Koottu curry that I like has kadala (black chickpea), chena (elephant yam) etc cooked in roasted coconut paste. Sambar I love is the one prepared with roasted coconut paste. I am particular regarding having carrots and beetroot in my sambar. It has to be slightly thick and brownish in colour. The taste goes to another level when a small piece of vellam (jaggery) is continued to it. Pachadi/kichadi I relish is the one with vellarikka (yellow cucumber).

Poornima Indrajith Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

Of all the dishes on the sadya leaf, I would always pick the fruit pachadi as my favourite. It is a pop of flavour – yogurt, coconut, spice and fruit all complementing one another perfectly. Pineapple and banana are the popular versions and what I love regarding the curry is the balance between the sweet and tangy flavours. It breaks the monotony of the spicy curries. It is simple, yet particularly nuanced. For each of my Onam collections, I have dipped into the nostalgia that the season brings and the food is an anchor to all of those memories.

Then comes the payasam, which to me, defines the quality of the sadya. It is a sweet ending to a grand feast and it almost always leaves my heart feeling full. The rich, creamy palada is edible art served on a leaf. Though I thoroughly enjoy the sadya, I particularly look forward to these two elements. Shelvin James Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

In the sadya, even though there are plenty of popular choices, like sambar and pulissery, I love the parippu curry the most. My favourite is the one that we create at home in Kottayam. In Kochi, where I am at present settled, I often search for places. It serve a good parippu curry and try out different spots. It is additionally a shame a that not all restaurants serve them regularly. Nevertheless, I do know one place where I usually have lunch, where they provide the lentil dish as an option.

In short, celebrities on which dish they like the most in the Onam sadya is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.