5 reasons why the traditional Onasadhya beats any of its unconventional versions

No matter how many new improvised versions are introduced, they can never beat the OG Onasadya, and we can give you five reasons to prove the fact!

Onam isn't complete without indulging in a grand feast and devouring Sadhya until we fall in a food coma. This culinary extravaganza is like a royal welcome for King Mahabali, a beloved figure in Kerala's folklore. It's a feast that's so big, it takes up a whole banana leaf! Imagine a table overflowing with over 26 different dishes: curries, fried veggies, sweets, and more. The flavors present a rollercoaster of sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and everything in between. Made with ingredients that are local and fresh, there's something for everyone!

The dishes of the OG Onam sadhya includes Pappadam, Upperi, Sharkara Varatti, Inji Curry, Mango Curry, Naranga Curry, Pachadi, Olan, Ellisheri, Avial, Thoran, Chor, Parripu Curry, Chenna Mezhkkupuratti, Sambhar, Pulissery, (sigh! breathing break) Kaalan, Morru Kachiyatha, Kichadi, Rasam, Kootu Curry, Neyy, Inji Thayir, Poovan Pazham, Palada Pradhaman, Pazham Pradhaman and Boli. This feast will leave you feeling full and happy. However, people have been coming up with many unconventional versions of the Onasadhya. Though we can appreaciate the efforts, serving during Onam feels like mocking the traditional and authentic sadhya. And as someone who loves sadhya, I can give you five reasons as to why we should stick to the OG version!

Also Read: Find out what your favorite food on a sadhya says about you!

Here are 5 reasons why I think the fake version of Onam Sadhya is a big no among Mallus:

The traditional Onam Sadhya is supposed to be savoured as it is to truly feel the contentment of having a full-fledged sadhya. Amongst Mallus at least, there might be just 1% of them who might try out the unconventional version; coz why not? But the majority of them will surely disagree with the fact that an altered version of Onasadhya is anything but better.

While non-vegetarian dishes can be delicious, they're generally not included in the traditional sadhya, apart from certain parts of Kerala. Onam is a harvest festival, and in Kerala, agriculture has historically been the backbone of the economy. This agricultural focus often led to a vegetarian diet. Considering how we can always have those non-veg dishes all year long, can we maybe skip making it part of the Sadhya?

Food vloggers often put their spin on the traditional Onam Sadhya, experimenting with new ingredients and techniques. While these improvised versions can be interesting and delicious, they don't always capture the true essence of the OG Sadhya. It's fine until it's just part of their content and not served on our ella.

While it's great to see new takes on traditional dishes, we should draw the line at palada payasam cakes and pastry sadya. Just as bizzare as it sounds, the inclusion of these, while delicious, feels truly unnecessary. While the efforts are great, there are times when we can leave the experimenting in the lab.

Lastly, it's always a bummer when you expect a traditional Onam Sadhya and get something different. No one wants to find the usual dishes to be replaced with something like grilled pineapple with tomato broth. These modern interpretations stray too far from the original intent of the Sadhya, which is to celebrate the harvest and honor King Mahabali.

Don't you also prefer the original Onasadhya over the improvised one? Let us know in the comments below!

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