What’s on the menu aboard Emirates Airlines this Onam 2025?

Traditional Kerala dishes take flight on Emirates’ Dubai–Kerala routes until September 6

Last updated: September 03, 2025 | 13:48

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What’s on the menu aboard Emirates Airlines this Onam 2025?

DRINA CABRAL

Dubai: Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival, is being marked in the skies this week. Until September 6, Emirates passengers flying between Dubai and Kerala can experience a festive sadhya at cruising altitude.

The airline is serving traditional Onam favourites across all cabin classes on flights to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Meals come with banana-leaf dish liners to capture the feel of a home-style celebration.

Also Read: Mid-air Onam Sadya? Airlines to serve special meals on flights from the UAE

Appetisers

Passengers are welcomed with familiar snacks:

Sharkara upperi – jaggery-coated banana chips
Kaya varuthathu – crisp banana chips
Kondattam mulaku – fried sundried chillies in yoghurt

Accompaniments include kaalan (coconut, yoghurt and yam), cucumber pachadi, and puli inji, the tangy-sweet ginger chutney. Business and First Class travellers also receive pappadam and mango pickle.

Main courses

Dishes vary by cabin but reflect Kerala’s love for coconut and seasonal vegetables:

Vegetarian sadhya with sambar, kootu, matta rice and thoran
Alleppey kozhi curry with avial, chemba rice and thoran
Nadan kozhi kari with steamed rice and vegetable kootu
Kerala-style chicken stew in First Class
A mutton option for First Class diners

Also Read: Did you know? Emirates passengers ate 60 million chocolates in a year

Desserts

No Onam spread is complete without payasam. Onboard menus feature:

Palada pradhaman – creamy rice pudding with nuts and raisins
Parippu payasam – sweet lentil pudding with toasted coconut
Moong dal payasam on select flights back to Dubai

For Keralites travelling during the season, the familiar flavours may offer a taste of home before arrival. For others, it’s a chance to discover the dishes that define one of India’s biggest harvest festivals.

Justin VargheseYour Money Editor

Justin is a personal finance author and seasoned business journalist with over a decade of experience. He makes it his mission to break down complex financial topics and make them clear, relatable, and relevant—helping everyday readers navigate today’s economy with confidence. Before returning to his Middle Eastern roots, where he was born and raised, Justin worked as a Business Correspondent at Reuters, reporting on equities and economic trends across both the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.