The fragrances and flavours of the harvest festival of Onam are back! Onam is a time-honoured tradition of celebrating the return of the legendary King Mahabali to Kerala and its rich cultural heritage. This festival is celebrated with colourful pookalams, lighting of lamps and of course, the traditional Onam feast!
At Southern Spice, the award-winning iconic South Indian restaurant at Taj Coromandel, the traditional Onam Thali, recreated by the team of Chefs led by Executive Chef Sujan Mukherjee, brings the authentic flavours of Kerala to your table. The special Onam Thali is a tribute to the culinary magnificence of Kerala, featuring an array of vegetarian delights, each prepared with the freshest native ingredients. Presented on a banana leaf, the thali begins with the tangy and spicy Injipuli alongside the refreshing Sambharam. The meal includes crunchy Naendra chips (Kerala banana chips), Sharkara varatti (jaggery-coated raw banana), and Chakka chips (jackfruit chips), offering a delightful start.
The thali showcases a variety of traditional dishes such as Mathanga Vanpayar Erissery, a flavourful combination of red pumpkin and red beans in a coconut and cumin spice mix, and Carrot Beans Thoran, where finely cut carrots and beans are tossed with freshly grated coconut and spices. The Achinga Mezhukkupuratti brings together long beans with onions, garlic, and coconut oil, while the Koon Ulli Theeyal offers a rich curry of mushrooms and shallots in toasted coconut and coriander.
Adding to this feast are Pachakkaya Kalan, raw banana prepared with coconut and crushed black pepper in tempered yogurt, and Olan, a comforting dish of white pumpkin and black-eyed peas in coconut milk. The Kootu Curry combines yam and black chickpeas with a blend of spices and coconut, and the Pineapple Pulissery brings a sweet and sour note with its curried yogurt base. The meal includes the classic Avial, a medley of country vegetables in a coconut and cumin mélange, paired with Sambhar, Rasam, and Katti Parippu. Accompaniments include Matta Rice (Kerala red rice) and steamed Ponni Rice.
No Onam feast is complete without desserts, and our thali features the delectable Ada Pradhaman, a traditional rice flakes dessert sweetened with jaggery and coconut milk, and the Broken Wheat Paal Payasam, a slow-cooked broken wheat pudding that perfectly concludes this lavish meal.
Join us at Southern Spice as we celebrate the essence of Kerala’s much-loved festival with a specially crafted Onam Thali, promising an unforgettable dining experience!
Southern Spice, Taj Coromandel | September 15 | Thali for Lunch and Dinner | INR 3250 plus taxes | Please call +91 44 6600 2827 or +91 78248 62310 for more details and table reservations