Malyalees often express the tradition of Onam Sadhya as “Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam,” meaning “One must have the Onam lunch even by selling one’s property.” Onam, marking the dawn of the Malayalam New Year, celebrates the mythical return of King Mahabali—whose annual homecoming is honoured with a feast as grand as the legend itself.
Onasadhya, a sprawling meal rooted in seasonality, is so abundant that Ayurveda prescribes eating it cross-legged and in a particular sequence for proper digestion. While the classic version is strictly vegetarian, especially in temple and festive contexts, traditions shift inside family homes. In regions like Malabar and central Kerala, the Sadya often takes on a more eclectic form—where non-vegetarian dishes appear alongside the vegetarian staples, reflecting the diversity of Kerala’s culinary culture.
Chef Sara Jacob Nair, Co-founder and Executive Chef, NairOnFire sharing about her childhood memories says “My earliest memories of Sadya are as much about the kitchen chaos before the banana leaf, as about the feast itself. At my grandmother’s house, it was like a full-on festival in the kitchen—my aunts gathering, each one taking ownership of a dish she was famous for.
At my mother’s house, the story was different. She was an excellent cook, and alongside the traditional vegetarian dishes, she would slip in our Nasrani delicacies. The best part was how the neighbours would join in. Also since my father was a cop, we moved around Kerala quite a bit, which meant neighbours from different communities adding their own flavours to our Onam table.
Growing up in a Syrian Christian household, food never felt bound by rules. So, while most Malayalee homes served a purely vegetarian Sadya, ours was an entire spectrum—prawns, duck, fresh catch fish, lamb, pork, and the staple Suriani cutlets, right alongside avial, thorans, sambhar, and payasam.”
Sadhya’s Meaty Affair from Malabar
When it comes to food, Malayalis are perhaps at their most open-minded. Living by the coast and shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, Kerala has always embraced diversity on the plate. Not many know that Sadhya also sees an array of non-vegetarian dishes and this is how the Malabar Sadya sets itself apart from the rest of Kerala with a table that marries fresh vegetable dishes along with indulgence in meat and fish.
Even Hindu households embrace the richness of meat, chicken, and seafood, making dishes like crisp fish fry, fiery squid fry, and comforting chicken curry staples. And as you travel south to Kollam, and you’ll find the feast equally striking with meen porichattu and more, a contrast that could surprise diners from Thrissur or Trivandrum, where Sadhyas are traditionally vegetarian affairs. Mathew Varghese of Kari Apla, Mumbai adds “The Malabar sadhya, hailing from the northern region of Kerala, stands out distinctly from the traditional vegetarian sadhya of central and southern Kerala.
Malabar, with its historical connections to Arab, Persian, and European traders, has developed a rich, spice-forward cuisine where meat and fish play prominent roles. While the classic sadhya is a purely vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf—featuring an array of vegetable curries, pickles, and payasams—the Malabar version often includes an eclectic mix of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes, reflecting the diverse culinary influences of the region.”
While Chef Sara says “Across Suriani kitchens—and truly across Kerala cooking, whether it’s Nair, Malabari, or Suriani—the principle is the same: the fish, the meat, or the vegetable must remain the star. Spices step in to complete the picture, never to dominate it. That balance—that discipline—is what anchors
the soul of Suriani non-veg cooking. Our Suriani version—or what we at NairOnFire call the UnSadya—is our playful spin on that tradition. We don’t take away the vegetarian dishes; instead, we make space for what we’ve always done at home: bring in prawns as a curry, chicken porichathu or mutton olarthu, and of course, the catch of the day. For us, the feast is incomplete without meat and seafood.”
Not many know that it’s quite common for non-vegetarian dishes to be served alongside a Sadya, though they’re seldom considered an official part of the feast itself. The idea of a “traditional” Onam meal is complex—once shaped by geography, occupation, and accessibility rather than religion. Over time, caste layered itself onto the narrative, even as many assumed staples were later imports. Varghese further highlights “Our sadhya features delicacies like chicken curry, mutton roast, fish curry, fried fish and prawn roast served alongside traditional vegetarian dishes such as avial, pachadi, thoran and varieties of payasam. What makes them unique is the prominent usage of spices in all food- sweet as well as savoury.”
Though the inclusion of meat in Sadhya may sparks debate, yet many families embrace it as part of their festive spread. This variety mirrors Kerala’s layered cultural identity. Yet, beyond what’s served, Onam’s essence remains the same—a season of togetherness, gratitude, and joyous feasting that fills homes with warmth and flavour. Chef Sara happily concludes saying “At the end of the day, both are about celebration. The traditional Sadya does it through discipline and heritage, the Suriani UnSadya through freedom and flavour.”
Read More: Onam 2025: All About Kerala’s Grand Vegetarian Feast, The Sadhya
Also Read: Onam 2025: Check Out The Best Onam Sadhya in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, And Kolkata
