Onam, the vibrant harvest and cultural festival celebrated chiefly by the people of Kerala, is a major annual event and the official festival of the state. It commemorates the Vamana and the generous daitya king Mahabali, with this year's celebrations taking place from September 6 to September 15. One of the festival's most cherished aspects is its elaborate food spread, which features an assortment of dishes, pickles, and rice for a traditional and satisfying meal. Here are some delicious and authentic recipes to help you celebrate Onam in style.

1. Ada Pradhaman

Ingredient:

1cup ada

¼ cup ghee

10-12 cashewnuts

2 tablespoon raisins

1 cup thin coconut milk

½ cup thick coconut milk

200 grams palm jiggery

A pinch of green cardamom powder

Method:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a deep non-stick pan. Add cashewnuts and raisins and fry till light golden in colour. Keep aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of ghee in the same non-stick pan. Add the ada sauté till light golden brown in colour. Add 1 cup water and mix.

3. Add thin coconut milk and mix well.

4. Cover and cook till the ada is soft taking care not to mash it.

5. Add jaggery and continue cooking till the mixture is thick.

6. Add the thick coconut milk and mix. Reserve a few cashewnuts and raisins for garnish and add the rest to the pan. Stir well and heat through without boiling the mixture.

7. Sprinkle the cardamom powder.

8. Transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with remaining fried cashewnuts and raisins and serve hot.

2. Parippu Payasam

Ingredients:

1 cup split skinless green gram (dhuli moong dal/parpu)

1 cup chopped jaggery

2 tbsps ghee

½ cup thinly sliced fresh coconut

10-15 cashew nuts

¼ cup raisins (khishmish)

¼ tsp green cardamom powder

1 cup coconut milk

Method:

1. Dry roast split skinless green gram till golden brown and transfer into a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water and pressure cook till 2-3 whistles are given out.

2. To make jaggery syrup, add jaggery in a non-stick pan and add ½ cup water and cook till the jaggery melts.

3. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan, add coconut slices and sauté till golden. Add cashew nuts and raisins and sauté till raisins puff up. Take the pan off the heat.

4. Open the cooker once the pressure has reduced completely, lightly mash cooked pigeon peas with the back of a spoon. Strain the jaggery syrup into it and mix well.

5. Cook this mixture till it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add green cardamom powder and coconut milk. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add coconut-nuts mixture and mix well, switch the heat off and transfer into serving bowls. Serve warm.

3. Pineapple Pulissery

Ingredients:

500 grams pineapple, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup scraped fresh coconut

3-4 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup yogurt

Salt to taste

1½ tbsps coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of fenugreek seeds (methi dana)

3-4 dried red chillies, broken

1 sprig of curry leaves

Method:

1. Heat an earthen pot. Add the pineapple pieces, 1½ cups water and turmeric powder and mix well. Add sugar, mix well and bring it to a boil. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.

2. Put the coconut in a mixer jar. Add green chillies, cumin seeds and ½ cup water. Grind to a fine paste.

3. Take yogurt in a bowl. Add salt, and mix till well combined.

4. Add the ground paste into the pineapple mixture and mix well. Cook for a minute.

5. Stir in the yogurt mixture, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour ½ cup water, mix and cook for 4-5 minutes.

6. For the tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add fenugreek seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds.

7. Transfer into serving bowls. Serve.

4. Aviyal

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch thick strips

50 grams broad beans (papdi), stringed and cut into 1 inch pieces

100 grams red pumpkin (kadu), peeled and cut into 1 inch thick strips

100 grams white pumpkin (bhopla), peeled and cut into 1 inch thick strips

50 grams French beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

50 grams yam (suran), peeled and cut into 1 inch thick pieces

100 grams raw banana, peeled and cut into 1 inch thick strips

100 grams drum sticks, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

50 grams cluster beans (gavar), stringed and cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt to taste

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 cup whisked yogurt

2 tbsps coconut oil

10-15 curry leaves

Paste

1 cup scraped fresh coconut

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

1. Heat a non-stick deep pan, add carrot, red pumpkin, white pumpkin, French beans, yam, raw banana, drum sticks, cluster beans, turmeric powder and salt. Add 1 ½ cups water, mix and cover and cook for 10-12 minutes.

2. Put coconut in a blender jar, add green chillies, cumin seeds and ½ cup water and blend to a coarse paste.

3. Add ground paste into the vegetable mixture and mix. Reduce the heat to low and add yogurt and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add coconut oil and curry leaves and mix and take the pan off the heat. Transfer into serving bowls and serve hot.

(All recipes by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

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