Revel in the banquet of Kerala with flavours of Onam in Chennai

CHENNAI: Sadya reminds chef Anandan Nair of home, where families come together, dressed in their beautiful authentic self, surrounding their traditional feast, Sadya, a pride of every Malayali.

“Nothing can represent me, and my art of culinary, better than a Sadya. I have grown up in a household, where my grandmother and mother would spend early hours in the mornings of Onam, with food preparations,” explains chef Anandan, who hails from Thrissur, in Kerala.

With an experience of more than 30 years, serving authentic regional food of Kerala, the chef was in the city of Chennai, curating an authentic Onam spread, featuring a delightful array of traditional dishes that captured the essence of the auspicious occasion.

Staying true to the authenticity of serving the banquet in a banana leaf, freshly washed and dried, came in the many dishes, giving every reason to dive in, the minute it was served. The platter had luscious Avial, a mélange of vegetables in cumin-flavored coconut and yogurt gravy, along with Olan, which was light and subtle flavoured, made with ash gourd in coconut milk, ginger and with the right amount of spice.

The sides also included the required staples like Kalan, Koottu curry, Thoran, Pachadi, along with the tangy Puli inji, and spicy Naranga achar to complement it.

Surrounded by the delectable dishes, came the steaming boiled rice, accompanied with piping hot Sambar. The crispy Kaya varuthathu and jaggery coated Sarkara varatti, were just right to add crisp to your flavourful banquet.

Not to miss the aromatic Pazha pradhamam, Palada payasam, and the Parippu pradhaman, that promises to delight your taste buds and transport you to the enchanting land of Kerala.

“It’s always an honour for me to represent my state, through its delicious cuisine and its traditions to people across the globe. In Chennai, I am hoping to see people fall in love with Kerala’s traditional Sadya, from his kitchen. It is important for me to make each of my customers happy. I look forward to expressing myself in the best way possible with the banquet, which I am presenting for this year’s Onam, a a little far from my family and people,” says chef Anandan, in a tone of contentment.

The city can celebrate the spirit of Onam, with a sumptuous feast at The Reef, Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa’s from August 24 to 29, for lunch and dinner. The Reef’s inviting ambiance, overlooking the pristine Bay of Bengal, will only add to the delicious experi- ence, which people can visit from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm for lunch, and 7:30 pm to 11:00 pm for dinner.