India, Sept. 5 -- Onam, a festival celebrated in Kerala to mark the end of the rice harvest season and commemorate the once-in-a-year return of the virtuous King Mahabali from the underworld, is accompanied by a grand feast. This all-vegetarian meal is served on a banana leaf and includes over 20 dishes. It incorporates all six senses, ensuring a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and astringent flavours.

Traditionally, the food served during the sadhya includes the matta or red rice, which is paired with sambar, prippu (a type of dal eaten with ghee), rasam (a tomato and tamarind curry), along with avial (mixed vegetables with coconut), thoran (stir-fried vegetables with coconut) and several pachadis (similar to a rai...