Sambar

Sambar is one unavoidable item on the sadya menu. With onam fast approaching, I thought sharing a sambar recipe would be apt. Whenever I complain that Jacob should get more involved in the kitchen and should take up interest in cooking, he always picks on me saying "who taught you to make sambar ?". Well those initial days of marriages while I was learning to cook to feed our stomach, the sambar preparations were done by Jacob. He is such a sambar lover. I would always prefer moru kachiyathu over sambar for rice. But I guess, as year pass by living with a sambar lover, I too have started to like sambar.

Well this recipe is not the traditional method of sambar preparation. Usually, the sambar powder is fried in the oil along with tempering and added to the sambar . I avoid doing it, to cut down the consumption of oil. Also I find it as an easier way to prepare, without the fear of burning the sambar powder, especially when you have too many things on the menu for sadya and hurrying, things go wrong sometimes. So try my version of sambar if you would like to, for this onam and let me know if you liked it.

Butternut Squash Erissery

The one thing I am thankful for is that my family is not very particular of having just the Indian veggies for our meals. We do cook any other veggie available, the Indian way and love them. Butternut squash is just one of them. When made erissery out of them, they are just perfect to even serve it for sadya. Since Vishu is almost around the corner, I thought I should be publishing this post for you guys to try for Vishu Sadya.

If you happen to be living in a place where butternut squash is available everywhere, but pumpkins are rarely seen, other than during thanksgiving, then this is one thing you should try, to relish on something similar to what your taste buds have been used to. Here's how to make it.

Dates Payasam

Onam Sadya is incomplete without a payasam. Infact, its the highlight of an onam sadya, right? We always try to go with the Cherupayar Parippu Payasam for Onam Sadya. Ever since I was a kid, the onam sadya at home always had Cherupayar Parippu payasam for sadya. Other payasams are usually had for other occasions. If you are not so strict about having a particular payasam for onam then you could try a variety of payasams for your sadya. One such payasam is Dates payasam.

The highlight of this payasam is that no sugar goes into it. Its just the sweetness of the dates that makes this payasam yum. So if you are open to trying something new for this onam then go ahead and try it. You wouldn't be disappointed :). Also, this can be made quickly and that too it gets done with just one greasy pot :). Now that is one plus to try it for onam, when you have loads of dishes to do after the sadya.

Kaplanga Pulissery

Pulissery or Moru curry is a must for Sadya. I am not a big fan of sambar but Pulissery and Parippu curry are my favorites to pair with rice. Being married to a sambar lover, we do keep rotating all possible gravy options for our meals, so that both of us get to have their favorites.

Pulissery has different versions. Some just have the seasoned buttermilk, which is usually called Moru kachiyathu at our place and others have veggies like cucumber or papaya or okra etc. that is added along with coconut to the seasoned buttermilk and that is termed as Pulissery. Having those veggies soaked in buttermilk, to bite on is a special treat. It just pairs so well with rice.

Kerala Parippu Curry

Onam is fast approaching. Sadya is what comes into my mind when I speak of Onam. We don't usually get to eat food on banana leaf, otherwise. So, Onam Sadya is so looked forward to. Last year, we managed to make a mini sadya at home, for the first time, after having Jordan. We made the pookalam too. The little one was too excited that all the effort seemed, so worth. The other day when I told him that onam is in like a weeks time. He said he wants a sadya. My jaws dropped. I didn't expect him to remember last years celebrations. But he remembers every bit of it.

I remember asking my parents to take me for a sadya at the karshaka market (that is the place were we would get sadya served on banana leaf) when we came to kerala during one vacation. My Mom laughed and said, "usually kids ask for biriyani or porotta-chicken or icecream treat etc. But I asked for sadya". I guess my kido has also gone after me. He loves the whole sitting down for sadya and having the spread infront of him on banana leaf. Ohhh...I just can't wait to have sadya now.

Kovakka Kichadi or Ivy Gourd in yogurt sauce

Onam Sadya has a wide list of items on the menu and one of it is Kichadi. Pavakka Kichadi and Kovakka Kichadi is equally liked by all of us. We go with making of either one of them for the sadya at home. And it is not something that appears only for onam. We make it very often esp. in summer.

My MIL always makes us some pavakka kondattam and packs it to take home after vacation. She once tried kovakka kondattam too when she had too much kovakka from her kitchen garden. We liked it too, but not as much as pavakka kondattam. So we used to fry it and make kovakka kichadi out of it. They were superb that way. And far easy rather than slicing and frying the kovakka for kichadi. So if you have kovakka kondattam in hand, try making kichadi out of it. Its an instant one but tastes so good.

Padavalanga Thoran / Snake Gourd stir fry with coconut

Padavalanga Thoran was one of the frequently made thorans for rice while we were in Bangalore or Pune. When we came to US we really missed having it. Here in Indian stores, we get it once in a while. So we still get to have it once in a while.

At my home, I have never had it. My mom never made it. Honestly, I don't know why she never made it. It was after marriage that I got introduced to it. My MIL makes it often and it was a love at first bite :P,  when I had this. Slightly crunchy and with the goodness of grated coconut in it, it is very unlikely that a mallu wouldn't love it. Try it and let me know if you like it. 

Olan

Olan is one thing that we make only for onam. So, I say it is as one onam sadya special dish. However, there is no such restriction that you should make it only for onam. Having it with some hot and steaming rice on any other day is equally mind blowing. 

Here is the recipe for our onam sadya special olan. 

Beetroot Thoran / Beetroot Stir fry with coconut

Thoran is so close to heart, for a Mallu. I love stir fries too but something with coconut in it, is so heavenly. I remember being a beetroot hater as a kid. But now when I think of it, I feel so foolish of myself to have avoided a beautiful and yummy veggie for all those years. So to make it up, this veggie makes its appearance on our menu quite often, now. 

And nope, this veggie just doesn't limit to savory stuff, but they make a great ingredient in cakes and halwas too. This beetroot thoran is just one way they are being served at our place. If you would want to try it, here is the recipe.

Pavakka Kichadi

Bitter gourd and me have had issues for long and till date it has not changed but yeah resolved a bit with time. I love it fried, in the form of Kondattam. So these bitter gourd are not frequently seen in my kitchen.

But when Onam comes and you have to make a khichadi, I get these and make it this way. It has a bit of frying involved which makes it less bitter, so we get to enjoy it with the sadya. This is how I make it.

Ulli Theeyal

Theeyal is not made often at my home. It just makes its appearance once in a while. However, my mom-in-law makes it often. It is from her that I learnt to make it.

The only difficult part in making it is the frying of the coconut mixture. And, mom-in-law would make a huge batch of this fried mixture to take along to Bangalore. Now when the hardest part was made easy, we would make theeyal quite often. The only difference would the different veggies that went into it- bitter gourd, brinjal, shallots etc. It would make a meal, finger licking good.

Avial / Aviyal

No big treat comes even closer to the Sadya spread on a banana leaf. I love having it. In fact, I remember asking my mom to take me to the karshaka market (farmer's market) for a Sadya, during one of the summer vacation. Those are the heights of my Sadya craving. And yes it has to be on the real banana leaf and not those plastic coated banana leaf look alike paper.

This Onam we had planned for a Sadya with friends but Jordan backed off. Not only did he fall sick of cough and cold, he took us down too. But all the Facebook and whatsapp updates and pics didn't let the Onam spirit go down. We didn't have all items on our Onam spread but we did have a decent amount of items that were more than our number of fingers, which includes salt and papadam too .. He he . For the last two years we had not prepared a sadya either because I was pregnant or because I had hardly anytime left after having taken care of a new born. So this time, we so badly wanted to celebrate, atleast for Jordan. Our planning made us buy the plastic banana leaves a week in advance thinking that if we stay adamant about the real banana leaf , we might just not get it at the last moment. Now that we had no friends coming over ( I would hate to serve cold along with sadya to our friends), we had so many leaves and so much leftover curries. Even though Onam was over we still used to have our lunch and dinner with those leftover curries spread over the leaf to compensate on the sadya missed out for the past 2 years. And Jordan just loved it and I guess , he mistook it to be a new practice at our home. Because he gave me a strange look when I served him the meal the next day in a plate rather than the banana leaf ..he he

Puli inji / Inji Puli / Inji Curry

Puli Inji - the name itself gets my tastebuds active. But since I have some leftover from the last week's Sadya, I am good. I can have it for lunch today :). Now it is not something that I associate as a daily menu item. We generally make it only for Onam Sadya. And they can be stored well. So you could make it before hand and not worry about it among the "n" number of items you would be making on the day of Sadya.

If you are planning for a Sadya anytime, this is a must in your menu list. No Sadya can be complete without the mixed flavor of Puli Inji- a bit of tartness, a pinch of sweet and little spiciness. So here is the recipe to the Puli Inji.

Mathanga Erissery / Pumpkin Erissery

As a kid, I was a picky eater. I was lean too. So people used to think I never ate anything. But if I was provided with something that I love, I would just hog on it. It has not changed much over the years. I still do that :). So anyone who asked me what was my favorite curry was; without any second thought I would say - Mathanga Erissery. I loved it and I still do.

We make this quite often these days. Jacob too loves it and Jordan finds it easy to eat as it just does not need any chewing. And the main highlight is that its not difficult to make.

Key Lime Pickle / Naranga Achar

This achar is a must serve at home if we are serving Biriyani/Fried rice. And if stored properly, these tend to stay good for a long time.

Not only are they served while serving biriyani, but its good to trigger your taste buds when they happen to stop functioning esp. if have a bad fever. Some kanji, papadam and this pickle can make for a good lunch when you are sick.

Paal Payasam / Rice Pudding / Rice Kheer / Milk Pudding

This payasam is the easiest of all. With just minimum ingredients it can be made quickly. After all it is Onam, and a payasam is a must have.

This time, it was at the last moment that I decided to go with this payasam. Well, I had to, as I had not planned well for payasam preparation for Onam in advance and hence didn't have ingredients to make our favorite payasam - Cherupayar Parippu Payasam. Neither did I have Semiya to make Semiya Payasam. So we ended up making it.

Kadumanga Achar / Kerala Style Mango Pickle

Any Sadya is incomplete without pickles. For us, every lunch/dinner is incomplete without it. Now that we tend to have pickle everyday, it vanishes very quickly.

So when I make pickle, I would rather choose to make the simplest of the recipes than investing a huge amount of time making something fancy and see it vanish fast. This is one such pickle - quick and simple to make, provided you manage to get raw mangoes easily.

Cherupayar Parippu Payasam / Split Mung Beans Payasam

When engagement anniversary, wedding anniversary and birthday falls in the same month with an interval of less than a week, making specials for each event gets exciting but at the same time leaves us with too much of left overs. Yes, February is special for us. We used to bake cakes for each of these occasions, but realized that its too much for just two of us.

So now, we have come up with a solution of spreading it in the form of a special dinner or a cake/bake or a dessert - anyone of these for each of these occasion. Also these get to be made only in amounts that suffices our appetite and craving.

Moru Kachiyathu / Kachiya Moru / Seasoned Buttermilk

Moru Kachiyathu is a must at our house and I am sure it would be the same for most of us malayali's. It is so amazing, how such a simple recipe can enhance the taste of lunch to a greater level. 

Choru (rice) and Moru Kachiyathu, itself is such a great combination that with just a simple egg omelet (indian style) as a side, you are sure to have had a fulfilling lunch. All said, while I clicked the below pictures for this post, I had my all time favorite Kale Kootu to go along with rice and Kachiya moru.

Semiya Payasam / Semiya Kheer / Vermicelli Pudding

I guess, this payasam does not need an introduction. Any one from India would have tasted it at some point of time. I have had this as a Naalu mani palaharam, as a dessert post lunch or dinner, to celebrate special occasions etc.

The nostalgic memories of this kheer hits me when the semiya gets roasted in ghee. I go back to those days when my mom use to make it for us. These days its me, who roasts it, smells it and has the kheer. Personally I feel, after having smelled the aroma and going through the feedback loop(tasting and adjusting the sugar) through out the entire cooking process, my stomach gets full that I end up having a little when its fresh. But when had later, the left overs taste good :). Do you feel the same?  Anyways, getting back to semiya payasam recipe; here it is.