EXCITEMENT was in the air as thousands of people flocked to Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS) in Segaiya yesterday to savour the much anticipated feast served up to celebrate Kerala’s harvest festival.
Onasadhya is a traditional meal – essentially vegetarian – served on a banana leaf and can typically have two to three dozen dishes…sometimes going up to 64.
The elaborate menu is prepared to mark the harvest festival, Onam, and is perhaps one of the biggest attractions of the event.
And that it was, as people from across the kingdom, including chief guest Indian Ambassador-designate Vinod K Jacob, attended the flavourful feast prepared by celebrity chef Pazhayidam Mohanan Nampoothiri and his four-member team.
According to BKS president P V Radhakrisna Pillai, the culinary crew was flown in from India to prepare the exquisite traditional meal.
Two spacious air-conditioned tents were specially set up to ensure a seamless entry for guests pouring into the DJ hall, where the feast was dished out for people to savour.
GDN’s leisure editor and favourite foodie, Merlin Rose Babu, attended the festivities with her family. It featured more than 30 traditional vegetarian dishes besides rice, curries, pickles and dessert served on a banana leaf.
“The sadhya was delicious,” Ms Babu shared.
There were several types of payasam (pudding) including ada, parippu, pumpkin and milk. The tasty menu also featured sambar, avial, pickles, rasam, pachadi, kootu curry, velleri kichdi, kondattam, parippu curry and more.
“There were a total of 24 items and it was definitely a feast for the senses,” she added.
BKS’s Onam festivities Shravanam 2023, which kicked off on August 3, will continue until Friday.
A grand finale will feature several entertainment programmes including a special recreational street folk art (leopard dance) by around 150 performers at 7pm.
All events are open to the public and will be held at the BKS.
mai@gdnmedia.bh
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