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The dream of a ‘Made in Kerala – Onam meal’ …

by Shivdas B. Menon

The days of Onam in Kerala  are the best.The morning always begins with fun and frolic. The children are attired in the Onnakodi (new Onamdresses )from their elders . It is fun to see them run around and mount on makeshift swings. The swings swim like a pendulum and the children reaching out to touch a cloud with their nimble hands.

My memories are mostly related to the fabulous feast at noon.The delicious aroma of cooked rice, mingled with cooked vegetables and the woodsmoke wafting through the rooms  where the banana leaves are  laid.   It is great to remember how we sit in two rows facing each other – the men and the children, while the ladies are  busy serving. The leaves are  brightened by the silver drops of water dancing on the green contours of the leaves. The dishes are  brought in from the smoke blackened kitchen which always had that pleasurable whiff even when there was no cooking. And then, the array of vegetarian delicacies… But these days when I think of it , I also get a little dejected.

When I look at the clean green plantain leaf – I also see vegetables we are forced to get from other states, some of suspect quality and camouflaged unseen pesticides. These are vegetables we can grow in Kerala in plenty and also ensure that they are safe to eat. The farmer – entrepreneur in me hopes that the youth in Kerala will see this as an opportunity.

We are at the threshold of cutting edge technology in agriculture where we can use polyhouses , vertical agriculture and several new techniques to grow vegetables. Due to the rising literacy levels and the urban influence, the youth in Kerala are increasing shying away from agriculture. This has led underuse of land resources and the low labour productivity due to the limited and slow adoption of technology and the inadequate support infrastructure in terms of transportation, warehousing and credit facilities, which impact the production levels and the extent of wastages in production. By designing more schemes and easing the process of setting up small ventures, we can create smaller clusters and also build an ecosystem for encouraging the agripreneurs.

Imagine all the dishes thatare arranged in an order that made the palate look like a painting. Several islands of colours spread on the leaves. They say when God looks down on the world, he sees a similar profusion of colour and each Onam Ela (leaf) is a colourful microcosm of the world. And soon, I pray and dream thatthe leaf will have every ingredient grown and nurtured in the fields and farms of Kerala – Made in Kerala.