For the first time, Nalan Restaurant City Hall is celebrating Onam with a traditional Kerala Sadya in Singapore.
Join us on Saturday, 29 August 2026, for a festive vegetarian lunch featuring 17 carefully selected dishes inspired by the flavours, traditions and hospitality of Kerala. Priced at just $21 per person, this special Onam meal brings together comforting curries, vegetable preparations, accompaniments and a traditional dessert in one generous feast.
Whether you are from Kerala and missing the familiar flavours of home, celebrating Onam with family and friends, or discovering a Kerala Sadya for the first time, Nalan City Hall welcomes you to be part of this joyful occasion.
Onam is one of Kerala’s most important cultural and harvest festivals. Celebrated by Malayali communities in Kerala, Singapore and around the world, the festival represents prosperity, gratitude, unity and the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali.
Homes are traditionally decorated with colourful flower arrangements known as pookalam, while families gather for cultural activities, festive celebrations and a grand vegetarian meal called Onam Sadya or Onam Sadhya.
According to Kerala Tourism, the traditional vegetable feast is one of the central elements of the Onam celebration. More than just a meal, the Sadya represents abundance, generosity, togetherness and the joy of sharing food with others.
An Onam Sadya is a traditional Kerala vegetarian feast made up of rice, lentil dishes, vegetable curries, coconut-based preparations, pickles, banana chips, pappadam and payasam or pradhaman.
A traditional Sadya is commonly served on a banana leaf, with the different dishes arranged in a particular order. Each preparation contributes a different flavour and texture, including sweet, sour, salty, mildly spicy, creamy, crisp and tangy elements.
The word “Sadya” means “feast” in Malayalam. You may also see it written as “Sadhya”, especially when searching online for an Onam Sadhya in Singapore. Both spellings refer to the same traditional Kerala vegetarian celebration meal.
Unlike a typical South Indian thali, where dishes are often mixed together, an authentic Sadya is meant to be eaten in sequence, one flavour layered onto rice at a time. It’s also entirely vegetarian, reflecting Kerala’s temple-food traditions, and it deliberately includes all six tastes recognised in Ayurveda — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent — believed to create a complete and balanced meal.
This is what makes the Sadya as much a cultural and culinary lesson as it is lunch.
This year marks the first Onam Sadya celebration at Nalan Restaurant City Hall.
As a 100% vegetarian Indian restaurant in Singapore, Nalan is delighted to bring this cherished Kerala tradition to the heart of the city. Our special Onam lunch is designed for families, friends, colleagues, Singapore’s Malayali community and anyone who would like to experience the distinctive flavours of authentic Kerala cuisine.
The menu combines traditional Onam favourites ranging from boiled red rice and parippu to avial, olan, erissery, kaalan and Ada Pradhaman.
The Nalan Onam Sadya includes the following 17 items:
Boiled red rice provides a wholesome and satisfying base for the meal. Its slightly firm texture pairs beautifully with parippu, sambar, rasam and the different Kerala vegetable curries.
Parippu is a comforting lentil preparation traditionally enjoyed with rice and ghee at the beginning of a Sadya. Its simple, nourishing flavour creates a gentle introduction to the feast.
A classic South Indian lentil and vegetable curry, sambar combines lentils, vegetables, tamarind and aromatic spices. It is one of the essential dishes in a traditional Kerala Sadya.
Rasam is a light, tangy and aromatic preparation made with tamarind, tomatoes and spices. It provides a refreshing contrast to the richer dishes in the meal.
Avial is one of Kerala’s best-known vegetarian dishes. It brings together a selection of vegetables with coconut and a delicately seasoned base, creating a dish that is creamy, fragrant and full of texture.
Thoran is a traditional Kerala-style vegetable preparation cooked with grated coconut and gentle seasoning. It adds a lightly spiced and textured element to the Sadya.
Kootu Curry is a rich vegetable and legume-based preparation with coconut and traditional spices. Its hearty consistency and layered flavours make it a much-loved part of an Onam feast.
Olan is a mild and delicate coconut milk-based dish traditionally prepared with vegetables and legumes. Its subtle flavour balances the stronger, tangier dishes served alongside it.
Erissery is a comforting Kerala curry commonly prepared with vegetables, legumes, coconut and spices. It contributes a mildly sweet, nutty and savoury flavour to the Sadya.
Pineapple Pachadi combines the natural sweetness and tartness of pineapple with a creamy, gently spiced base. Its sweet and tangy character makes it one of the most colourful flavours in the meal.
Inji Puli is a traditional ginger and tamarind condiment. Its bold combination of sweetness, sourness and the warmth of ginger helps enliven every mouthful of the feast.
Kaalan is a thick Kerala-style yoghurt curry traditionally prepared with vegetables and spices. It adds a creamy, tangy and deeply satisfying element to the Sadya.
Moru is a refreshing yoghurt or buttermilk-based preparation seasoned with traditional South Indian spices. It is often enjoyed with rice towards the end of the meal.
A small portion of pickle delivers a concentrated burst of sour, salty and spicy flavour, complementing the more delicate curries and vegetable preparations.
Upperi, or Kerala banana chips, provides a crisp and savoury contrast to the soft rice and curries. It is one of the most recognisable accompaniments in an Onam Sadya.
Light and crunchy pappadam can be enjoyed on its own or crushed over the rice and curries for added texture.
The feast concludes with Ada Pradhaman, a treasured Kerala dessert traditionally prepared with rice ada, jaggery and coconut milk. Kerala Tourism describes Ada Pradhaman as an important sweet served as part of a traditional vegetarian Sadya.
What makes a Kerala Sadya special is not any single dish, but the way the entire meal comes together.
The richness of Kootu Curry is balanced by the mildness of Olan. The tanginess of Inji Puli complements the sweetness of Pineapple Pachadi. Crispy Upperi and Pappadam provide contrast to creamy curries, while Ada Pradhaman offers a sweet and satisfying conclusion.
This thoughtful balance of flavours, colours and textures reflects Kerala’s rich culinary heritage and its longstanding tradition of hospitality.
Our Onam Sadya at City Hall is ideal for:
As the menu includes ghee, yoghurt and other dairy-based preparations, it should not be considered a fully vegan meal.
Nalan City Hall is conveniently located at Capitol Singapore, close to City Hall MRT station. Its central location makes it easy to gather with family, friends or colleagues for an Onam lunch in Singapore.
After your meal, you can explore the nearby Civic District, CHIJMES, St Andrew’s Cathedral, the National Gallery Singapore, Esplanade and Marina Bay.
Learn more about our Indian vegetarian restaurant at City Hall.
Seats for this special Onam lunch are limited. Early reservations are strongly recommended, especially for families and groups.
Come together, celebrate the spirit of Onam and enjoy a traditional vegetarian Kerala feast at Nalan City Hall for the first time.
Call or WhatsApp +65 9732 4289 to reserve your table.
Celebrate abundance. Celebrate togetherness. Celebrate Onam at Nalan.
For vegetarian, vegan, and Jain diners who often struggle to find celebratory set menus that cater to their dietary needs, this National Day feast solves that problem entirely. Every dish is plant-based, freshly cooked, and free from onion-and-garlic on request — making it inclusive for a wide range of dietary preferences without sacrificing the authenticity of the South Indian flavour profile.
Dishes like Vazhaithandu Kootu, Sundakkai Vathal Kuzhambu, and Mangai Rasam rarely appear on standard restaurant menus in Singapore. This National Day spread is an opportunity to try heritage South Indian recipes that are typically reserved for home cooking or special occasions — a meaningful way to explore one of the cultural pillars of Singapore’s food identity.
National Day is about more than fireworks and festivities. It is also a time to appreciate the diverse cultures, shared experiences and food traditions that connect us.
Whether you are planning lunch with your family, meeting friends in the city or searching for a special vegetarian National Day meal in Singapore, Nalan’s South Indian feast offers a warm and flavourful way to celebrate.
Bring your loved ones together and enjoy a meal featuring traditional recipes, contemporary creations and the comforting hospitality for which Nalan is known.
A Contemporary Indian Vegetarian Experience in Little India and City Hall
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82 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 217987.
+65 9171 8282
info@nalan.com.sg
13 Stamford Rd, #B2-54, Capitol Singapore, Singapore 178905.
+65 9732 4289
info@nalan.com.sg