Onam is not just a celebration of bounty but also a time for palatable temptations. The local tradition of an elaborate meal stems from a history of plenty, a time when sitting down for a meal was as important as the effort to procure it. Sarala Menon, a long time resident of Pune, has retained the legacy of Malayali cooking with a few variations. She says, ``While it is true that our food habits are dictated by the climate, it is also the kind where the different items take care of the body's need for vitamins, minerals and proteins. So if one sticks to this kind of diet one can be sure of a healthy life.''Those unfamiliar with Malayali cooking are at times put off by the amount of coconut used. Perhaps it is a taste to get used to and it is certainly not a deterrent to health as is believed. The traditional eight course meal has given way to something less elaborate as expenses and availability of food items preclude culinary considerations.A typical categorisation of the items would be cereals like dal and rice (unpolished, with the bran, considered nutritious), vegetables, roots, leaves and fruits, milk and milk products (curds) and variety of pickles and papads.The cooking involves boiling first and then seasoning it with oil and spices. Coconut milk is also used as a curry base for delicacies like the vegetable stew. Old timers still follow the four-meals-a-day pattern. Breakfast comprises rice-based preparations like upma, idli and dosa with chutney (coconut base) or puttu with steamed bananas and channa curry.Lunch is usually heavy, consisting of rice with sambar, rasam and curd. The side dishes are usually vegetable preparations with or without dal. The evening tiffin is usually similar to what one has for breakfast. Dinner comprises rice and other preparations. Migrant Malayalis have changed their dinner from rice to wheat and so have chappatis. For sweet dishes there is the payasam which is made from rice, fruits (banana and jackfruit) and cereals.According to Menon, Malayali cooking is not as difficult as it is seems to be. These days freshly ground masalas last for a week or are readily available in the market. Numerous Malayali shops in the city store condiments and other items like pickles and papads. Eating is an event and even an ordinary meal can become an unforgettable affair.
