Onasadya refers to the feast during the Onam festival. A variety of vegetarian dishes are laid out on a banana leaf. Each dish, from the starter to the pickle to the dessert, has a distinct name. At Gaurang’s Kitchen in Hyderabad, a speciality vegetarian restaurant, each component of the Onasadya is explained:
Choru: Steamed rice, the base of the sadya
.Avial: A vegetable medley cooked in a coconut-based gravy.
Sambar: A dish with lentils, vegetables, and a blend of spices.
Thoran: A vegetable stir-fry with grated coconut.
Olan: A mild curry made with white pumpkin, cowpeas, and coconut milk.
Kichadi: A dish made with yellow cucumber, beetroot, carrot, or bitter gourd, cooked in coconut paste and curd.
Pachadi: A sweet preparation, often with pineapple, cooked in coconut paste and finished with curd.
Kalan: A thick, yoghurt-based curry with vegetables such as raw banana and yam.
Theeyal: A curry made with roasted coconut.
Rasam: A tangy, spiced soup that serves as a palate cleanser.
Moru curry: A buttermilk-based curry with a gentle heat.
Puli Inji: A pickle made with ginger, green chillies, tamarind, and jaggery. (This is one of three pickles in the sadya, alongside mango and lime.)
Pal payasam: A rice pudding cooked with milk and sugar.
Sarkara upperi: Jaggery-coated raw banana cubes, served with banana chips.
Ada pradhaman: A dessert of ada (thin strips made from rice flour), jaggery, and coconut milk.
Kaaya varuthathu and chena varuthathu: Fried banana and yam chips.
Here’s where you can try the traditional Onasadya in Hyderabad
Gaurang’s Kitchen
For one day only, Gaurang’s Kitchen will serve an elaborate Onasadya thali featuring 22 dishes, priced at ₹1250. Reservations: 8688820076.
Simply South
This year, Onasadya here stretches across three festive days — Uttradam Sadya, Thiruvonam Sadya, and Avittom Sadya. Each meal features 25+ vegetarian dishes and diners can pick from three slots daily: 11.30 am, 1 pm, and 2.30 pm. Price: ₹1667. Pre-booking: 9100717999.
Tuya, Jubilee Hills
Tuya celebrates Onam on September 5 and 6, offering a ₹999 festive spread. Expect sambaram, uppu, inji puli, pachadis, erissery, olan, aviyal, parippu with nei, sambar, and a sweet ending of ada pradhaman and semiya payasam. Reservations: 9008410690.
Akson, Panjagutta
The only Kerala specialty restaurant in Panjagutta, Akson serves a dedicated Onam menu on September 5. Dine-in is priced at ₹550, while takeaway is ₹600. Contact: 04048544210.
Mahamudra
This vegetarian restaurant will host an Onam buffet this weekend, spotlighting over 20 traditional dishes on a banana leaf. Starting September 16, a weekday Onam pre-plated thali will be available at ₹577. Enquiries: 9121230393.
ITC properties:
Dakshin, ITC Kakatiya: Onam lunch from September 4–6, between 12.30 pm and 2.45 pm. Price: ₹3500++ per person. Reservations: 9866230631 / 9853586463.
Golconda Pavilion, ITC Kohenur: A celebratory Onam buffet brunch on September 7, from 1 pm to 4 pm. Price: ₹2999++ per person, inclusive of soft beverages. Reservations: 7003504263 / 8955392599.
Published – September 01, 2025 11:30 am IST
