In some establishments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the festive Onam Sadhya feasts, which are lavish banquets, have already begun to be served. Other restaurants are preparing to host hundreds of thousands of guests during the main days of the Onam celebrations, starting from August 26th. However, this year the cost of this festive dish has increased due to rising prices for vegetables and banana leaves, caused by the regional conflict.
On Friday, Calicut Paragon restaurant served over 600 people as part of a corporate order, while Mabalar Tiffin House accepted orders from companies for up to 800 people. Some venues, including Malabar Street Food on Sheikh Zayed Road, began accepting visitors from Saturday, August 21st. Manager Noushad noted that they have already received numerous requests and expect full occupancy, as they are among the few who started serving Sadhya this weekend. Nevertheless, most restaurants will begin service on August 26th and continue throughout the long holiday.
Onam is an annual harvest festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala. One of the main highlights of this festival is the traditional feast, served on a banana leaf and which can include up to thirty different dishes. Usually, Sadhya is eaten with hands while sitting on the floor, and it is concluded with a sweet milk dessert called Payasam.
The preparation by Lulu Group is one of the largest in the country. According to V. Nandakumar, Director of Global Marketing and Communications, the group plans to provide over 150,000 servings of Onam Sadhya and more than 100,000 liters of Payasam across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region this year. Nandakumar emphasized that demand has been very high, and there is a great response to advance bookings both in stores and online, noting that this is one of the busiest periods for the group's kitchens in the region.
Preparations began long before the holidays. Over 100 experienced chefs from various parts of the group are working under the culinary guidance of Sadhya specialist Pazhayid Mohanan Nambutiri and renowned chef Suresh Pillai. To maintain authenticity, over 2,500 tons of fresh ingredients are being delivered from India on specially organized charter flights.
Nandakumar added that the Payasam festival is an important event for the group. He reported that over 25 varieties of Payasam will be presented, including mango, jackfruit, ghee, adai, and wheat, and this assortment will be available until August 30th. Additionally, special festive sweets such as cakes, pastries, chips, and ice cream are available. People have already started purchasing items for the Onam celebration at various points of sale.
Sumesh Govind, CEO of Paragon Group of Restaurants, stated that his team expects to serve between 25,000 and 30,000 servings of Sadhya across seven venues. To serve a group of 450 people, the kitchen uses over 70 kilograms of rice. Preparing Sadhya takes the staff about three to four hours, but cutting and marinating requires another two to three hours, which is usually done the day before.
Mohammed Anis, chef at Mabalar Tiffin House, compared the process of preparing Sadhya to an orchestra, noting that it requires significant labor, slow cooking, and meticulous planning, which is more like conducting than cooking. He also mentioned that due to the residence of over a million Keralites in Dubai, the demand for Onam Sadhya is extremely high every year. With the long holidays this year, an even larger influx of visitors is expected. Although there are no current plans to extend the Sadhya serving days, management will assess the demand to make a final decision.
On Thiruvonam day, Calicut Paragon branch in Karama is planned to serve about 4,000 people between 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM. The restaurant closes for dinner to give employees time to rest. The manager noted that many international companies love Onam just as much as Malayalis in the UAE, and that guests from all over the world, including Koreans, Japanese, Europeans, and Americans, come to enjoy this feast, with some even learning to eat with their hands.
However, it was noted that restaurants are facing increased costs this year. Sumesh reported that vegetable prices have risen, and the cost of banana leaves has increased by 35–40 percent. This price increase is linked to the regional conflict, which has disrupted supply chains and raised the cost of fresh produce and other necessary goods.