Unnikrishnan Namboothiri
Ente Keralam

What is the significance of Onam Sadhya?
Onam is celebrated on occasion the king Mahabali visiting his kingdom. In his period all were considered equal and to commemorate this equality Onam is celebrated with a sadhya.
Earlier days Onam used to be a simple affair. Now as times changed people turned this into a grand affair with lots of dishes added with varieties of payasams and other dishes
Where in Kerala do you hail from?
I am from Triparayar of Trissur district of Kerala.This district which is situated in the middle of Kerala and is known for its special vegetarian dishes likes the Avails, Kaalan, Erissery etc.
What is one misconception about food from Kerala?
People consider the Kerala food to be very heavy. This is because in modern times use of onions,garlic,strong masalas and lots of coconut milk makes it heavy. Well made sadhyas are very light and easily digestible.The Onam Sadhya I and my team prepares leans more towards sattvic way of cooking with no use of onions, garlic etc and no use of heavy masalas.

How healthy is food from Kerala?
Food is very healthy when prepared in a way it used to be cooked by our ancestors. Local ingredients available in season using local techniques make the food healthy for that region. If we try and mix different cuisines and ingredients dishes might turn tasty but not necessarily healthy.
Celebrate Onam with the traditional Sadhya at Ente Keralam
12/1, Ulsoor Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore