More than being just a festival, Onam enlightens the cultural and traditional history of Kerala. Apart from the customs like Vellamkali and Pulikali, preparing special recipes is also important during Onam. As the state of Kerala is geographically different from other states of India, the food habits are also distinct in their taste and flavor. The special recipes for Onam are conventionally more delicious and easy to cook.

Some Special Recipes For Onam – 2008:

Parippucurry:

Ingredients:

• Green gram dal (Lentils) : 1 cup
• Water : 3 cups
• Turmeric powder : ½ teaspoon
• Salt : as enough ( to taste)
• Ghee : 2 teaspoons

Method of Preparation:

• Fry the green gram dal in a pan
• Boil the water and add the green gram dal and turmeric powder
• Reduce the heat, when it boils
• When dal is cooked properly, add salt to taste and ghee
• Stir the mixture well and remove from the flame

Injithair:

Ingredients:

• Ginger (nicely chopped) : 3 spoons
• Curd : 6 spoons
• Salt : to taste

Method of Preparation:

• Mix all the mentioned ingredients and stir vigorously. Delicious injithair is ready.

Avial:

Ingredients:

• Yam (thinly sliced) : 1 cup
• Cucumber ( sliced) : 1 cup
• Snake gourd (sliced) : 1 cup
• Carrot (sliced) : ½ cup
• Long runner-beans (sliced) : ½ cup
• Drumstick (sliced into 2 lengthy pieces) : 2
• Raw bananas (sliced) : 1
• Mango pieces : for sour taste
• Turmeric powder : ½ teaspoon
• Salt : for taste
• Coconut (grated) : ½ cup
• Green chillies : 5
• Cumin seeds : ¼ teaspoon
• Curry leaves : 3 sprigs
• Coconut oil : 4 tablespoons

Method of Preparation:

• Grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep them aside
• Clean the vegetables properly
• Heat the 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a vessel
• Add the vegetables to the oil and heat over a low flame
• Add turmeric powder and salt, and stir it well
• Remove the vegetables from the middle and add sliced bananas and mango slices and cover with the other with the other vegetables
• Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• Add curry leaves. Now, the Avial is ready

Olan:

Ingredients:

• Ash gourd : 50 gm
• Pumpkin : 50 gm
• Green chillies (remove the edge) : 3
• Red gram dal (soaked in the water for 8 hours) : 2 tablespoons
• Coconut milk : 1 ½ cups
• Salt : for taste
• Coconut oil : 1 tablespoon
• Curry leaves : 2 sprigs

Method of Preparation:

• Cut ash gourd and pumpkin into small pieces
• Boil the vegetables and red gram dal in water
• To it, add enough salt and the green chillies
• After that, add 1 cup coconut milk and boil it
• After it thickens properly, add ½ cup coconut milk
• Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the flame
• Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and curry leaves and stir it well