Mazzo Onam Sadhya Brings Authentic Kerala Flavours to Hyderabad
22 Aug 2026 8:23 PM IST22 Aug 2026 8:23 PM IST
"Onam doesn't have religion," is the central idea the chef wants to convey. For him, the Sadhya represents togetherness and the idea that everyone can sit down and share the same meal.
Onam Sadhya (Photo by arrangement)
Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad hosted an Onam Sadhya at its restaurant, Mazzo, on Saturday as part of its Onam celebrations, with the feast continuing on Sunday. The traditional Kerala feast was curated by Head Chef Suresh Rajan Pillai, who made a conscious effort to keep the experience as authentic as possible, from the food and traditional banana leaf service to the attire worn by the waiters serving the meal.
For Chef Suresh Rajan Pillai, the Sadhya is more than a festive menu. A chef from Tamil Nadu, he has a personal connection to Kerala through his family, as his great grandfather was Malayali.
For him, the Sadhya recipes have been part of his family for the past 10 to 12 years, and he continues to follow those recipes while curating the feast at the hotel.
Each Sadhya is carefully planned around balance and seasonality. With around 27 to 29 dishes making up the meal, each preparation has its own flavour profile. Some dishes are pepper heavy, some use chillies, while others are prepared without strong spices. According to the chef, this variation is what keeps such a large meal balanced rather than overwhelming.
The menu included several traditional Kerala preparations such as upperi, sharkara upperi, inji puli, pachadi, kichadi, aviyal, thoran, olan and kalan, along with a Kerala style sambar. The chef particularly emphasised that each dish has its own importance in Sadhya and is part of a larger experience.
One of the highlights of the feast was the dessert selection. The Sadhya features three varieties of payasam, palada pradhaman, and parippu payasam, offering different textures and flavours while bringing the meal to a traditional close.
For Chef Suresh, getting the characteristic flavours of Kerala right comes down to some basic ingredients and techniques. For instance, coconut oil plays an important role in giving the dishes their unique flavour.
The way a Sadhya is served is equally important. Traditionally, it is presented as a complete meal on a banana leaf, with the dishes served in a particular sequence. The chef says the traditional leaf service adds to the experience and gives diners a sense of how the feast is meant to be enjoyed.
The Sadhya prepared by Chef Suresh also has a personal family influence. His grandmother was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and traditionally followed a diet without onion. As a result, nearly 24 of the 27 dishes in the Sadhya were prepared without onion, with only a few preparations such as the sambar containing onion and garlic.
For Chef Suresh, however, the deeper significance of Onam lies beyond the food. He describes Onam as a festival of unity, one that transcends religion and brings people together.
In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, he says, people across communities celebrate Onam. The inclusive nature of the festival is also reflected in the hotel's Sadhya bookings. Around 174 people have booked for the feast, with nearly half of them being Muslim guests.
"Onam doesn't have religion," is the central idea the chef wants to convey. For him, the Sadhya represents togetherness and the idea that everyone can sit down and share the same meal.
The traditional celebration also includes the pookkalam, the colourful floral decoration made outside homes, while the Sadhya is served on banana leaves. The feast itself is traditionally vegetarian and forms an integral part of the Onam celebrations.
For Chef Suresh, working in hotels has meant that Onam has rarely been a celebration at home. He says he has never really celebrated the festival with his own family because he has spent his Onams at hotels, celebrating with guests and the people around him.
For him, therefore, the hotel becomes a kind of extended family during Onam. The Sadhya allows him to celebrate the festival by bringing people together around food and by preserving the traditions that have been passed down through his family.
This year's Sadhya at Marriott Executive Apartments Hyderabad is an attempt to recreate that experience authentically through traditional recipes, banana leaf presentation, the service style and the flavours of Kerala.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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