Mambazha Pulissery
While many sadhyas feature a pulissery, the Mambazha Pulissery is a standout star that isn’t always on the banana leaf. This delightful curry is made with ripe mangoes, coconut, and yoghurt, creating a beautiful balance of sweet, tangy, and sour notes.
Traditionally, small, whole, fibrous local mangoes (nadan mambazham) are used, which are simmered until tender in a gravy spiced with turmeric and a hint of chilli. The final dish is tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies in coconut oil. Its vibrant yellow hue and unique flavour profile make it a perfect companion to the other dishes, cutting through the spice and adding a fruity, creamy dimension to the meal.
Idichakka Thoran
Before a jackfruit becomes the sweet, fleshy fruit used in chakka pradhaman, its tender, raw form (idichakka) is used to create this spectacular dish. Idichakka Thoran is a flavourful stir-fry that has a surprisingly meaty texture, making it a satisfying vegetarian side. To prepare it, the tender jackfruit is cooked and then shredded or pounded (the name 'idichakka' means 'pounded jackfruit'). It's then sautéed with a coarse mixture of grated coconut, shallots, green chillies, and cumin seeds. A final tempering of mustard seeds and urad dal in coconut oil gives it a characteristic crunch. This dish offers a wonderful textural contrast to the gravies and rice of the sadhya.
Koottukari
Koottukari is a thick, complex curry that brings together black chickpeas (kadala), yam, and raw plantain in a robustly spiced coconut base. What sets it apart is the use of both ground and roasted coconut. First, a paste of coconut, cumin, and chillies is added to the cooked vegetables and chickpeas. Then, for the final tempering, freshly grated coconut is fried in ghee or coconut oil until it turns a deep, fragrant brown before being stirred into the curry. This two-step coconut process gives Koottukari its distinctive dark colour, rich aroma, and a slightly sweet, nutty flavour that distinguishes it from other sadhya preparations like erissery.
Chakka Pradhaman
While Palada Pradhaman and Parippu Pradhaman are the most common payasams to conclude an Onam feast, Chakka Pradhaman offers a uniquely fruity and decadent alternative. This rich dessert is made from ripe jackfruit, jaggery, and creamy coconut milk. The jackfruit is cooked down with jaggery until it forms a thick, jam-like consistency, a preparation sometimes known as chakka varatti. Thin and thick extracts of coconut milk are then stirred in to create a luscious, pudding-like kheer. The pradhaman is finished with a generous garnish of cashews, raisins, and small coconut pieces fried in ghee, adding a delightful crunch to every spoonful. Its intense, fruity sweetness is an unforgettable way to end the meal.
