A Blackburn restaurant is celebrating a traditional South Indian festival by serving up a unique vegetarian meal on a banana leaf.
The Onam Sadhya, which is made of 24 items, is being offered at the Thira Restaurant for only two days this month.
More than 100 diners booked for the first day of the meal on Thursday, August 27.
The restaurant, on the corner of Darwen Street and St Peter Street, will offer customers a second chance to try the meal this Sunday, August30.
Thira is one of Blackburn’s most popular restaurants and opened in 2017. It is run by Subramaniam Iyer and business partner Bijumon S. Pillai.
This week, an auto rickshaw, often called a tuk-tuk, was parked outside the licensed restaurant, and staff got in on the celebrations by wearing a traditional ‘dhoti’.
The Onam Sadhya is served on a banana leaf and is made up of, among other foods, rice, pickles, sauces and desserts.
The meal celebrates the Hindu harvest festival of Onam, which is the official festival of the state of Keralam (Kerala), and includes a range of cultural events.
Subramaniam: “We have had such a great response to the dish.
It is lovely to see the enthusiasm from people who have never tried it before.
“Onam is a 10-day-long festival celebrated in the state of Keralam in southern India.
“It is believed that a legendary King Mahabali visits Keralam to see whether his people are living peacefully, treated equally and are prosperous just as they were during his golden age.
“The meal is made up of an assortment of items and served on a banana leaf.
“Each one is a different flavour. It is a traditional way of serving food.
"You start with the sauce on one side and eat your way across the leaf.
“You have everything from pickles, mango, lemon, tamarind, cabbage and vegetables.
"It is all made fresh. You can ask for a refill on some of the items until you are full.
“Normally it is eaten with your hands, but that is your choice.”
Subramaniam said he wanted to welcome anyone in Blackburn and beyond to try the dish.
“It is wonderful to see so many people interested in trying the meal," he added.
"People are travelling from other towns.
“It is quite unique, and we are only serving it again on Sunday.
We expect a lot of demand again, so I would urge people to book ahead.”
Share