Onam 2022: what's the best part of the sadya feast?

The pazhamkootan stew made from leftovers is healthy, tasty and minimises food waste

Pazhamkootan is a thick stew made over days by adding leftover curries and vegetables from the Onam feast. Photo: Jayalekshmi Vasudevan

Three decades since I last ate it, I still drool whenever I think of the pazhamkootan my grandmother used to cook after the Onam feast. The fermented dish has untraceable origins, no fixed recipe and is largely unknown to people outside Kerala, yet it is a fitting solution to food wastage, because this is a dish made entirely from leftovers.

Despite this, it’s referred to as the “king of dishes” in many Malayali households because it is typically prepared and consumed after the Onam sadya, or feast, which boasts an array of flavourful curries and richly cooked vegetables.

All the major dishes of the Kerala feast are mixed together (see box), then cooked on a slow flame for hours to form a thick mash. Pazhamkootan pairs well with rice, porridge, idli, dosa or roti.

Most dishes served for the Onam sadya can be combined to make pazhamkootan. Photo: Jeff Topping for The National

Smitha Ajitha, 50, a Trivandrum native who lives in Abu Dhabi, learnt to make pazhamkootan from her mother-in-law, Lalitha Kumari Amma, now in her eighties, who in turn learnt of the dish from her mum.

Dubai resident Jayalekshmi Vasudevan, 72, adapted her version of pazhamkootan in 1968 from her mother-in-law, who lives in Alleppey.

Both the UAE residents have carried on with the tradition of serving the much-loved pazhamkootan in their homes, although they sometimes restrict themselves to mini versions of the dish.

Vasudevan, who grew up in a joint family, recalls how everyone would gather for five days during Onam, which led to a large quantity of leftovers and, consequently, pazhamkootan.

“The leftovers, except payasam [sweet vermicelli kheer], were transferred to brass urulis (traditional cookware) or clay manchattis (earthen pots). The pots were then placed on top of a firewood stove and left overnight. The fire is usually run all day and put out at night," she says. "The residue heat from the firewood keeps the pot warm throughout the night. This pot is warmed up every day and the next day's leftovers are layered into it. This goes on until the day of Onam and then consumed the day after Onam.”

In the absence of a firewood stove, modern-day pazhamkootan is made on a gas stove. “Firewood was a practical and healthy option that made perfect sense in an era where family sizes were big and refrigerators were not yet a must-have household item,” says Ajitha.

Even so, the concoction needs to be boiled once every morning and night so it can remain fresh for a week. A mini version can be tried out if you have fewer dishes, and pazhamkootan should always be served hot.

“Care should be taken when adding rasam and pulissery, as too much too soon will make the curry very watery,” explains Ajitha. Depending on your palate, pickles and pappad can be added or skipped.

“The dish is not only a probiotic, and a balanced and healthy meal, but also promotes recycling and zero waste. It ensures every home has adequate food after the typical sadya lethargy sets in after Onam.”

Those who continue the tradition do so because they relish the aroma and taste of the sweet and sour stew, with each handful igniting the senses as soon as it touches the tongue. Then there are the connotations the dish carries. Every Malayali who loves pazhamkootan has a story to share on how it reminds them of tradition or childhood or family bonding.

For Vasudevan, pazhamkootan brings back sweet memories of the festive season and her first bonding experience with her husband’s family, when several members of the household would have a gala time cooking together.

Ajitha says pazhamkoottan is her family’s way of connecting with their roots given they don’t live in India. She says the recipe, which is typically handed down over generations, has a rich and unique Malayali feel, and that it seamlessly blends tradition, prosperity and humility.

Scroll through the gallery below to see more from Onam festivities

An Indian Theyyam artist with his face painted waits to perform during the Kummattikali as part of the annual Onam festival celebrations in Thrissur district of Kerala in South India. AFP

A Theyyam artist performs during the Kummattikali. AFP

An artisan prepares face masks resembling various Hindu deities for the Kummattikali, a form of colourful mask dance performed as a part of Onam celebrations in Kerala. AFP

Performers painted as tigers take part in the Pulikkali or tiger dance, in Thrissur. AFP

Students celebrate the Onam festival at a college campus in Chennai, wearing the traditional cream and gold saris. AFP

One of the highlights of the festival for many is the Onam sadya or feast. Vegetarian food is often served en masse in the community, in restaurants or at homes, and is always presented on a banana leaf. Photo: Address Dubai Marina

An Onam sadya feast is served, with mixed vegetables in yoghurt, snake gourd, ash gourd with coconut milk, sweet ripe mango curry, banana and rice chips and other traditional dishes, at a home in Dubai. Jeff Topping / The National

Artists perform a dance during the Onam festival in Thrissur, Kerala. AFP

Dancers in body paint wait to take part in a performance. Reuters

Volunteers prepare food to serve hundreds of people during Onam at the Kerala Social Centre in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Henderson / The National

An Onam feast at the Kerala Social Centre in Abu Dhabi, which hosted more than 2,000 people for a three-course meal. Andrew Henderson / The National

Artists perform a traditional dance during the start of the Onam festival in Cochin, Kerala. AP

A dancer painted to look like a tiger wears a mask backstage before performing during festivities marking the end of Onam. Reuters

An Indian folk artist dressed as the Hindu god Muruga waits to perform during Kummattikali, as a part of Onam. AP

A mahout tightens a rope as he drapes a caparison on to an elephant's head, during Onam in Kerala. Reuters

A mahout sits between elephants participating in Onam festivities, on the outskirts of Kochi. AP

Devotees pray on the occasion of Onam at Astik Samaj Temple, Matunga in Mumbai, India. Getty

A floral pookkalam made on the occasion of Onam at Panvel Railway Station in Mumbai. Getty

A woman puts the finishing touches to a flower pookkalam at Panvel Railway Station in Navi Mumbai. Getty

Women in traditional Kerala saris take a selfie in front of a pookkalam made during Onam, at CST station in Mumbai, India. Getty

Percussion artists playing the thavil, a traditional drum, walk ahead of a caparisoned elephant carrying an idol of a deity during Onam, at the Vamana Hindu temple in Kochi, Kerala. AP

A jockey races a pair of bulls on paddy fields during the annual Kalapoottu bull-running festival, on the occasion of Onam, in the village of Vengannur near Palakkad in Kerala. AFP

Girls in traditional attire dance as their mother shoots a video to mark Onam, outside a Hindu temple in Kochi, Kerala. AP

A flower vendor awaits customers at a temporary stall during Onam festivities in Kochi, Kerala. AP