7 Authentic Onam Recipes Shared By Top Chefs That Will Help You Recreate The Magic Of Kerala’s Harvest Festival At Home!

Onam, Kerala’s grand harvest festival, is not only a celebration of culture, tradition, and unity but also a feast for the senses. The vibrant Sadya, served on banana leaves, features a plethora of dishes that range from sweet and savoury to tangy and spicy. This year, why not add a twist to your Onam feast with these seven incredible recipes, blending tradition with a modern flair? Let’s dive into these must-try Onam recipes by top chefs, which promise to add more flavour, nostalgia, and excitement to your celebration this year!

Best Onam Recipes To Try At Home

1. Ada Pradhaman By Sanjiv Kumar, Executive Chef, The Fern Goregaon

A luscious dessert, Ada Pradhaman is a Kerala-style sweet pudding made with rice flakes (Ada), coconut milk, and jaggery.

Ingredients:

• Ada (Dry Boiled Rice Flakes): 1 cup
• Water: 1 cup
• Palm Jaggery: 1 cup
• Fresh Coconut Milk: 1.5 cups
• Ghee: 2 tbsp
• Cashew Nuts: 10-12
• Chopped Coconut: 2 tbsp
• Saffron: 1/6 tsp
• Dry Ginger Cardamom Powder: 1/8 tsp

Method:

1. After giving Ada a thorough wash, let it air dry in a strainer.
2. In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee. Fry cashews and chopped coconut until golden, then remove from heat.
3. Add the remaining ghee to the same wok and fry Ada until golden. Cook with one cup of water until partially cooked.
4. Add the palm jaggery and stir until it dissolves.
5. After adding the fresh coconut milk and cooking it for ten to twelve minutes, stir in the dry ginger cardamom powder and saffron.
6. Add some fried cashew and coconut as garnish. Warm it up and serve the decadent, rich dessert.

2. Aviyal Curry By Sanjiv Kumar, Executive Chef, The Fern Goregaon

This vibrant vegetable medley cooked with coconut and curd is a signature Onam dish.

Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables (Potato, Yam, Carrot, Beans, Ash Gourd, Cucumber, Raw Mango, Drumstick, Raw Banana): 500 gm
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Thick Curd: 1/2 cup
• Salt: To taste
• Fresh Coconut: 1/2 cup
• Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tbsp
• Green Chilli: 2
• Coconut Oil: 3 tbsp
• Curry Leaves: 8-10
• Hing (Asafoetida): 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Cut vegetables into finger-sized pieces.
2. Cook the veggies in a little bit of salt and turmeric until they are soft, then drain.
3. Make a coarse paste out of the coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds.
4. Add the curry leaves, hing, cumin, and mustard seeds to heated coconut oil. Let it cook for a minute.
5. When the coconut paste has cooked for a few minutes, add the boiled vegetables to the wok. Sauté the coconut until its raw aroma disappears.
6. Allow to cool slightly before adding the curd.
7. Savour this rich and tangy dish with some steamed rice.

3. Vegetable Thoran By Hotel Marine Plaza

A simple yet flavourful stir-fry, Thoran is a Kerala-style vegetable side dish made with grated coconut and spices.

Ingredients:

• Mustard Seed: 1 gm
• Curry Patta (Curry Leaves): 1 gm
• Dry Red Chilli: 1
• Fresh Coconut (grated): 4 gm
• Chopped Onions: 2 gm
• Turmeric Powder: 1 gm
• Salt: 1 gm
• Coconut Oil: 45 ml
• Carrot: 40 gm
• French Beans: 30 gm
• Beetroot: 20 gm
• Green Peas: 10 gm

Method:

1. Heat coconut oil; add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilli, and onions. Cook until fragrant.
2. Stir in carrots, beans, beetroot, and peas. Add a splash of water and cook until tender.
3. Garnish with grated coconut and cook for a minute longer.
4. Best enjoyed with steamed rice and pappadam.

Also Read: 8 Delicious Onam Dessert Recipes To Relish Kerala’s Traditional Cuisine In Your Own Kitchen

4. Rice Payasam By Hotel Marine Plaza

A classic Kerala dessert, Rice Payasam is a creamy pudding made from rice, jaggery, and coconut.

Ingredients:

• Milk: 250 ml
• Ghee: 20 ml
• Fresh Coconut (grated): 4 gm
• Rice: 50 gm
• Jaggery: 50 gm
• Saffron: 3 strands
• Green Cardamom Powder: 1 gm
• Raisins: 1 gm

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, add rice, and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add boiling milk and cook rice until soft.
3. Add jaggery, saffron, cardamom, and grated coconut. Stir for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with raisins and serve warm. A decadent treat perfect for Onam!

5. Nadan Kerala Parippu Curry By ‘Puja Darshan, ‘The Tastes of India’ Podcast On Audible

A staple in Onam Sadhya, this simple dal recipe is flavoured with coconut and tempered with spices.

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal: 1 cup
• Grated coconut: 1 cup
• Shallots: 6 (for grinding) + 4 (for tempering, thinly sliced)
• Green chillies: 4
• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
• Coconut oil: 2-3 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
• Dried red chilli: 2 (broken into pieces)
• Curry leaves: Few
• Salt to taste
• Water: As needed

Method:

1. Dry roast moong dal until aromatic.
2. Make a fine paste out of the coconut, green chillies, cumin, and turmeric.
3. Wash and put the Dal under pressure to make it soft. Mash it well.
4. Add water, salt, and coconut paste to the dal. Simmer for a short while.
5. Warm up the coconut oil, let the mustard seeds crackle, then incorporate the shallots, curry leaves, and red chillies. Pour over dal.
6. To add even more richness, serve hot over rice with a drizzle of ghee.

6. Mathanga Erissery With Quaker Oats By Chef Ranjith Elavoor

A wholesome and nutritious twist on a traditional dish, this pumpkin erissery is packed with flavours and health benefits thanks to the addition of oats.

Ingredients:

• Lobia (Black-eyed beans): 50 gm
• Pumpkin (cubed): 200 gm
• Quaker Oats: 3 tbsp
• Grated Coconut: ½ cup + ¼ cup (for garnish)
• Green chilli: 1
• Shallots: 3
• Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Coconut oil: ½ tbsp + 1 tbsp (for tempering)
• Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
• Red chillies: 2
• Curry leaves: Few
• Kashmiri chilli powder: 2 tsp
• Water: 1 cup

Method:

1. Pressure cook lobia with water and turmeric until soft.
2. Make a paste out of the coconut, shallots, cumin, and green chillies.
3. Boil pumpkin with water, green chilli, and curry leaves until soft.
4. Add the ground coconut paste and cooked lobia. Add the oats and let it simmer for a short while.
5. Heat the oil; add the curry leaves, red chillies, and grated coconut after the mustard seeds splutter. Fry the coconut until it turns golden.
6. Pour the tempering over the erissery and serve with rice.

7. Pazam Nurukku With Quaker Oats By Chef Ranjith Elavoor

A nutritious twist on a sweet classic, this dish combines caramelised bananas with oats for a delicious treat.

Ingredients:

• Jaggery: 100 gm
• Bananas (ripe): 2
• Water: 2 tbsp
• Grated Coconut: 2 tbsp
• Ghee: ½ tbsp
• Quaker Oats: 3 tbsp
• Cardamom: 3 pods

Method:

1. Heat the jaggery with water until it becomes syrup-like.
2. Cook the banana slices in the jaggery syrup until they turn golden brown.
3. Stir in grated coconut and ghee, then add oats.
4. Serve it hot and enjoy it with your family.

This Onam, try these amazing recipes by top chefs at home!

Cover Image Courtesy: Press Release

For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.