Kerala's Harvest Feast Brings Families Together Across the Emirates This Onam
Malayali families across the Emirates celebrate harvest season with traditional feasts at home and restaurants.
For nearly one million Malayalis living across the Emirates, Onam without sadhya is simply unimaginable. The elaborate vegetarian feast, traditionally arranged on a banana leaf and comprising anywhere from nine to more than 30 dishes, sits at the heart of how families and communities mark Kerala’s most significant harvest festival. Curries, dal, pickles, poppadoms, banana chips and payasam are staples, but the true experience lies in the ritual of gathering around the spread, which brings people of different faiths and backgrounds together in shared celebration.
This year, the 10-day festival begins on August 16 and reaches its crescendo with Thiruvonam on August 26. While sadhya traditionally belongs to Thiruvonam, the festival’s most sacred day, restaurants and food services throughout the UAE have extended their offerings across the entire Onam period, often stretching celebrations into weekends to accommodate the preparation demands and high volume of diners seeking to participate. Reservations are frequently necessary given the scale and complexity of these feasts.
The options span price points and dining styles, from home delivery kits to upscale restaurant experiences. For those preferring to celebrate at home, Lulu Hypermarket’s Kitchen by Lulu brings back its sadhya in a box, available across all UAE locations. The takeaway feast includes 24 ready-to-eat items and arrives with a banana leaf, featuring boiled palakkadan matta rice, sambar, khichdi, pachadi, thoran, koottu curry and rasam. Pre-orders close August 25, with delivery scheduled between August 26 and 30 at Dh38.90.
Calicut Notebook, operating across multiple emirates, will serve a 26-item Onam sadhya exclusively on August 26 at Dh49 for both dine-in and takeaway at branches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Similarly, Calicut Paragon in Dubai offers its Grand Paragon Sadhya with 25 dishes at Dh52 for dine-in or Dh55 for takeaway from August 26 to 29, with pre-booking required for takeaway orders at locations in Karama and Al Nahda.
Abu Dhabi presents particularly diverse choices. NH47, a popular Keralan restaurant in Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre, begins celebrations on Onam’s first day, August 16, and continues through August 26. Its feast features 32 vegetarian dishes from Thiruvithamkoor, the historic Travancore region of southern Kerala, available at Dh52 for both dine-in and sadhya kits designed for home celebration. Payyannur Restaurant, named after a northern Kerala town and known for its relaxed atmosphere, serves a 26-item sadhya at its three Abu Dhabi branches for Dh44 dine-in and takeaway, or Dh46 for delivery, operating from Madinat Zayed, Mussaffah and Electra Street locations.
For upscale dining, Vineyard Restobar at Etihad Towers offers an Onam sadhya with 31 traditional items on August 26 only, priced at Dh110 per person or Dh450 for a family of five. Coconut Lagoon, a multi-cuisine restaurant specialising in Keralan dishes, serves a 28-item sadhya in Mussaffah on August 26 at Dh34 for dine-in or Dh38 for takeaway. Thamburu Indian Restaurant and Lounge, celebrated for its lively pub-style atmosphere with live music and budget-friendly offerings, extends its 31-dish sadhya across three days (August 26, 29 and 30) at Al Diar Mina Hotel in Al Zahiyah, priced at Dh50 dine-in or Dh55 takeaway. Food Junction in Al Shamkha Mall rounds out Abu Dhabi options with a 28-item sadhya on August 26 at Dh45.
Meanwhile, Dubai’s dining landscape offers equally varied experiences. Punjab Grill, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in Anantara Downtown, Business Bay, presents a sadhya menu featuring more than 33 traditional items from August 21 to 26, including jaggery-coated banana chips and kala and raw jackfruit curry, with Onam-themed drinks available at additional cost, priced at Dh99.
Tharavad Restaurant in Al Qusais, known for authentic home-style South Indian and Keralan cuisine at affordable prices, offers 28 items for dine-in and 26 for takeaway from August 24 to 26 at Dh45. Rasam in Discovery Gardens distinguishes itself by serving more than 30 traditional delicacies not only throughout Onam (August 14 to 31) but also extending celebrations every weekend until the first week of October, priced at Dh60 dine-in or Dh80 takeaway. Papillon, a Keralan restaurant and bar, features a 30-dish sadhya on August 26 and 28 at San Marino Hotel in Deira, available at Dh39 dine-in or Dh45 takeaway.
Whether the plan is a home delivery kit or a full restaurant spread, the question worth asking closer to Thiruvonam is simply this: how early did you book? For comprehensive listings and additional details about Onam celebrations and sadhya offerings throughout the UAE, visit https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/2026/08/26/onam-2026-where-to-eat-sadhya-in-the-uae/ for updated information on participating restaurants and special arrangements.
Q&A
What is sadhya and why is it central to Onam celebrations for Malayalis in the Emirates?
Sadhya is an elaborate vegetarian feast traditionally arranged on a banana leaf with 9 to 30+ dishes including curries, dal, pickles, poppadoms, banana chips and payasam. For nearly one million Malayalis across the Emirates, Onam without sadhya is unimaginable; the ritual of gathering around the spread brings families and communities of different faiths and backgrounds together in shared celebration.
When does Onam take place in 2026 and what is the significance of Thiruvonam?
The 10-day festival begins August 16 and reaches its crescendo with Thiruvonam on August 26, which is the festival's most sacred day. While sadhya traditionally belongs to Thiruvonam, restaurants and food services throughout the UAE have extended their offerings across the entire Onam period to accommodate preparation demands and high diner volume.
What dining options are available for families celebrating Onam at home versus in restaurants?
For home celebration, Lulu Hypermarket's Kitchen by Lulu offers sadhya in a box with 24 ready-to-eat items and a banana leaf at Dh38.90, with delivery between August 26 and 30. Restaurant options range from affordable venues like Tharavad at Dh45 to upscale experiences like Vineyard Restobar at Dh110 per person or Dh450 for a family of five, with most requiring pre-booking.
Which restaurants across the UAE are offering Onam sadhya celebrations, and what are their key offerings?
Abu Dhabi venues include NH47 (32 dishes, Dh52), Payyannur Restaurant (26 items, Dh44-46), Coconut Lagoon (28 items, Dh34-38), and Vineyard Restobar (31 items, Dh110). Dubai options include Punjab Grill (33+ items, Dh99), Tharavad (28-26 items, Dh45), Rasam (30+ items, Dh60-80), and Papillon (30 dishes, Dh39-45). Calicut Notebook and Calicut Paragon operate across multiple emirates with 26 and 25-item feasts respectively.