Onam, which culminates on September 11, is celebrated in honour of King Mahabali, whose reign was believed to be the most prosperous time for the state of Kerala. It is a 10 day harvest festival, which falls in the month of Chingam of the Malayalam calendar, Kollavarsham.
Apart from various dances and sports, a lavish and elaborate meal called the Onam Sadya forms an important part of the occasion. Different varieties of food items are served on banana leaves, which is traditionally used as a plate. Papadam, Kaalan, Olan, Avial, Sambar, Rice, Dal, Erisheri, Rasam, Pickle, Payasam, the food platter is vast.
This Onam, here are three delicious recipes to celebrate the day and satiate your appetite.
Thenga Choru (Coconut Rice)
Ingredients:
500 gm rice (boiled)
50 ml oil
5 gm mustard seeds
5 gm cumin seeds
50 gm cashew nuts
10 gm urad dal
5 gm curry leaves
10 gm green chillies
10 gm coriander leaves
100 gm coconut, grated
100 ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
2. Add urad dal, cashew nuts and saute till golden.
3. Add all the ingredients except rice and stir on a high flame for a few minutes.
4. After all the ingredients are cooked properly, add the rice and stir for another 5 minutes on a slow flame.
5. Garnish with coconuts and chillis.
Achappam
by Chef Naresh Chinni at The Drunken Botanist
Ingredients:
200 gm rice flour
5 ml vanilla essence
100 ml vegetable oil
50 ml coconut milk
5 gm sugar
2 gm salt
2 gm baking powder
Method:
1. Take a medium bowl and start to whisk coconut milk into the rice flour.
2. Add sugar, vanilla essence, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
3. Heat the achappam mould in fryer.
4. Dip few moulds in the batter and put it in the oil. Drain the excess oil.
5. Fry it from the both side and make it crispy.
6. Once golden brown remove it from the oil. Use paper towel and serve with some powdered sugar.
Sweet Ravioli Lacha Rabri
by Chef Naresh Chinni at The Drunken Botanist
Ingredients:
100 gm refined flour
2 gm salt
5 ml water
5 ml honey
20 ml oil
Ravioli stuffing
50 gm cottage cheese
50 gm khoya
10 gm rose petal
10 gm kaju
5 gm pista
5 gm almond
4 gm dates
4 gm raisin
Rabri
200 ml milk
50 gm khoya
2 gm green cardamom
2 ml kewra water
0.1 gm saffron
Method:
1. Mix together all the above ravioli ingredients for the dough and keep aside.
2. Take a container. Mix cottage cheese and khoya along with all the nuts and keep separately.
3. Meanwhile, start to reduce the milk along with, khoya, cardamom, kewra water and saffron.
4. Once the milk gets thick in pouring consistency, just simmer it for few minutes and store separately.
5. For the ravioli spread, cut the sheet in to the required shape and stuff it with cottage and khoya mixture.
6. Once done with all the ravioli, start frying it according to the requirement.
7. Remove from the fryer when it is crispy and golden brown.
8. Coat the ravioli with rabri and serve warm on the plate.
