1. The Essential Avial
Avial is the soul of a Sadya, a beautiful medley of vegetables in a coconut and yoghurt gravy. For a weekday version, don't worry about sourcing every traditional vegetable. Use what you have: carrots, beans, potatoes, and pumpkin work wonderfully. The
trick is to cut them into uniform two-inch batons. Cook the harder vegetables like carrots and potatoes first, then add softer ones like pumpkin. The flavour comes from a coarse paste of grated coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds, which is stirred in towards the end. Finish with a swirl of whisked curd (off the heat to prevent splitting) and a generous drizzle of coconut oil and fresh curry leaves. It’s a complete meal in a bowl, ready in under 30 minutes.
2. Simple Cabbage Thoran
Thoran is Kerala’s answer to the everyday stir-fry, and it's incredibly versatile and quick. Cabbage thoran is perhaps the most common and forgiving. Simply shred cabbage and sauté it with a tempering of mustard seeds, dried red chillies, and curry leaves in coconut oil. Add turmeric and salt, then cover and cook for just 5-10 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still has a slight crunch. The final touch is a handful of freshly grated coconut stirred through the dish. It’s a light, refreshing side that pairs perfectly with rice and any curry, adding texture and a subtle sweetness to your plate.
3. Parippu Curry for Comfort
The Sadya meal traditionally begins with Parippu, a simple but profoundly comforting moong dal curry. Unlike North Indian dals, this version is milder and creamier. To make it, pressure cook yellow moong dal until it’s soft and mashable. Some recipes call for a simple coconut paste made from grated coconut, cumin seeds, and green chillies to be stirred in. The final flourish is a ‘tadka’ (tempering) of ghee or coconut oil with mustard seeds, shallots, dried red chillies, and curry leaves, which is poured over the dal just before serving. It's the ultimate comfort food, ready in minutes.
4. Speedy Moru Curry (Pulissery)
When you need a curry in a hurry, Moru Curry is the answer. This tangy yoghurt-based curry, also known as Pulissery, can be made in just 10 minutes. The base is simply whisked curd (yoghurt), thinned with a little water. The flavour comes from a fragrant tempering of coconut oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, ginger, green chillies, and curry leaves. Sliced shallots are often added to the tempering for a sweet crunch. The crucial step is to add the whisked curd to the pan after turning off the heat, stirring continuously to prevent it from curdling. It’s a cooling, digestive curry that perfectly complements spicier dishes.
5. Olan, the Subtle Star
Olan is a testament to how incredible a dish with minimal ingredients can be. This delicately flavoured stew is made with ash gourd (or pumpkin) and sometimes black-eyed peas, simmered gently in coconut milk. For a weekday meal, canned coconut milk works perfectly. Simmer diced ash gourd with slit green chillies and curry leaves in thin coconut milk until tender. Then add cooked black-eyed peas (canned ones are a great shortcut) and finish with thick coconut milk and a final drizzle of fresh coconut oil. The key is not to boil the curry after adding the thick milk. Its mild, clean flavour is a beautiful contrast to the other dishes.
6. Puli Inji: The Pickle to Keep
This is a recipe you make once and enjoy for weeks. Puli Inji is a sweet, sour, and spicy pickle made from ginger, tamarind, green chillies, and jaggery. It's an explosion of flavour that's considered essential for a Sadya to balance all the tastes. Finely chopped ginger and green chillies are sautéed in oil and then simmered with tamarind water and jaggery until the mixture thickens into a jam-like consistency. It is a perfect condiment to have on hand, instantly elevating a simple meal of rice and yoghurt or adding a flavour punch to any dish.
7. Quick Semiya Payasam
No meal is complete without something sweet, and Semiya Payasam (vermicelli kheer) is one of the quickest Indian desserts you can make. Simply roast vermicelli in a little ghee until golden, then simmer it in milk until soft. Add sugar or condensed milk for a richer taste, and flavour it with a pinch of cardamom powder. The final touch is a garnish of cashews and raisins fried in ghee until golden. From start to finish, this comforting, creamy dessert can be on your table in under 20 minutes, providing a perfectly sweet end to your weekday Onam-inspired meal.
