As we all know “The richness and depth of celebrations express a culture accurately.” Festivals hold significant cultural, social, and psychological importance in societies around the world. Especially in India where we embrace the differences, our unity in diversity strengthens societies, fostering understanding and harmony. Food is often used as a means of retaining our cultural identity.
Recently I attended Onam Sadhya by the renowned master of Sadya Rekha Raghavan which she organizes every year and showcases the Sadhya which is a traditional Kerala vegetarian feast, comprising more than 25 dishes served on a banana leaf. We captured this essence of traditional dishes at Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi, Airport Highway. Beautiful Rekha Raghavan is showing how it’s done this year. A big thumbs up to delightful decor with marigold hues, quaint dining tables and generous hospitality.
Onam Sadya showcases the rich culinary heritage of the Kerala. The tantalising meal usually consists of rice, sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew), aviyal (mixed vegetable dish), thoran (stir-fried vegetables with coconut), pachadi (yogurt-based dish), rasam (spiced soup), and an array of side dishes and pickles. The meal is completed with sweet dishes like payasam (rice pudding). The following menu was served for us:
Traditionally, the sadhya comprises of more than 25 dishes but in recent times – you can find the following are served on your Banana leaf such as: Chor(Rice), Parripu Curry(Dal), Sambhar, Rasam, Morru, Avial: mixed vegetable curry made with a variety of vegetables like carrots, beans, potatoes, and more, cooked in a coconut-based gravy, Erissery: A thick Pumpkin curry, black-eyed peas and coconut, Pachadi: Sour curry made of yoghurt and usually pineapple,mango or ripped bananas, Pulisseri: A sour, yellow-coloured thin curry made with yoghurt and cucumber, Injipuli: A sweet pickle made of ginger, tamarind, green chilies, and jaggery, Thoran: A dish of sautéed vegetables Achaar: Pickles of raw mango (Mango pickle), lemon, lime etc, Pappad, Sharkara upperi: banana chips with jaggery, Kaaya Varuthathu: banana chips, Banana and Payasam – semi solid dessert
All the dishes will be put slowly on banana leaf to make a cracking spread, delving out everything you’ll need right from Rasam to Payasam for the ultimate festive celebration. Don’t forget to dig into your food with your hands to relish these lip smacking delicacies.
Four Points by Sheraton promises to do festive feasting the right way.
Sadya dates : 26th to 29th August 2023 (both lunch and dinner)
Price 1499++
