For Dubai-based Malayali musician and lyricist Methil Satheesan, the flavours of an Onam sadya are more than just a festive meal. Over the years, they have taken shape as memories, moods and, now, melodies waiting to be heard. Ahead of Onam, the Palakkad native has created a musical series inspired by some of Kerala’s best-loved traditional dishes, from Inchipuli and Avial to Sambar, Rasam and Mulakooshyam.
Satheesan, who has lived in Dubai since 1992 and works as assistant general manager of operations at a construction materials company, writes, composes and sings the songs himself. His newly released music series aims to give familiar culinary traditions a fresh musical identity, while evoking a sense of home and nostalgia for Malayalis living in the UAE.
“For every Malayali, Onam is intrinsically tied to memories, togetherness and the elaborate sadya,” he says. “Each dish on the banana leaf carries its own distinct personality, flavour profile and story. The idea stemmed from wanting to bring these traditional dishes to life through music.”
Satheesan’s relationship with music began in Kerala, where he grew up surrounded by the sounds and cultural traditions of Palakkad.
“My passion for music started at a young age, shaped by the songs I grew up listening to and the cultural environment around me,” he says. “Expressing my emotions, thoughts and stories through poetry gradually evolved into composing tunes and writing lyrics, eventually leading me on this path as a lyricist and musician.”
He credits Kanyarkali, Palakkad’s rhythmic folk ritual art form, with helping establish the foundation of his creative journey.
“Kanyarkali is a deeply rhythmic and soul-stirring folk ritual art from Palakkad,” he says. “Experiencing its distinct melodies, folk lyrics and powerful percussion during my childhood served as the very foundation for my musical and poetic journey.”
A curry that inspired a song
The idea for the Onam-inspired music series began at home, over a lunch prepared by his wife. Satheesan had requested Molakorthappuli, a simple curry typically made with onions and tamarind water but one whose flavour, he says, relies on getting the balance just right.
“The idea first struck me when my wife cooked Molakorthappuli, which is one of my absolute favourite dishes, for lunch at my request,” he says. “Though it is a simple curry made primarily by boiling onions and tamarind water, getting the flavour just right requires real skill.”
The meal took him back to his mother’s cooking and its emotional resonance. “While my mother’s cooking always held a unique magic because of the unconditional love she poured into it, the Molakorthappuli my wife made that day turned out exceptionally delicious,” he says.
“Enjoying that meal sparked a sudden desire in me to capture its essence in a poem. When people loved the poem, it inspired me to explore other traditional curries, eventually transforming these culinary pieces into fully composed songs.”
Turning flavour into sound
The Onam series brings together dishes associated with the festive sadya, including Inchipuli, Avial, Rasam, Sambar and Mulakooshyam. Satheesan says the selections were shaped by each dish’s role in the feast, its personal associations and its potential to be translated into sound.
“It was a combination of all three,” he says. “I considered their indispensability in a traditional Onam sadya, childhood memories associated with them, and their inherent rhythm and musical potential, matching the distinct personality of each dish to a specific musical scale and tempo.”
That approach means each composition has its own musical texture. “Every dish evokes a specific mood,” he says. “For instance, the richness and diversity of Avial is reflected in layered lyrics and versatile melodies, while the zesty tang of Inchipuli and Rasam was translated into energetic, upbeat folk rhythms.”
He adds, “The goal was to recreate the tactile, sensory experience of tasting these dishes through listening to the music.”
Sambar, meanwhile, is celebrated for its place at the heart of South Indian cuisine and its historical associations, while Olan is portrayed through its “gentle, subtle and soothing character”. Mulakooshyam takes a more playful direction, with humour drawn from its reputation as a quick-fix recipe when unexpected guests arrive. Rasam is positioned not only as a sadya favourite but as a restorative broth, while Inchipuli is presented as a dish that “holds an entire universe of complex flavours within a single spoonful”.
A taste of home
The musician says his understanding of Kerala food stems from years spent watching and learning at home. “Even as a child, I used to carefully watch my mother cook, driven by a constant curiosity to understand the unique qualities of the food on our plates,” he says.
“Because of that early fascination, I have long been familiar with every ingredient that goes into these classic Onam dishes. Even now, whenever my wife is away, I step into the kitchen to experiment and cook these recipes myself.”
For Satheesan, the response to the project has confirmed that food-led nostalgia can travel across borders. “Living away from home in the UAE makes memories of Kerala even more cherished,” he says. “Beyond entertainment, I hope this project serves as a cultural bridge, helping the younger generation and Malayalis in the diaspora connect engagingly with their culinary heritage and take pride in their cultural roots.”
While Satheesan has written, composed and sung the series, the video-album edits are handled by his friend and Palakkad-based visual editor M. R. C. Nair and the song Injippuli was composed by Dubai-based music director Gokul Menon.
All three are part of Hrudaya Thoolika, meaning “Pen of Heart”, a collective that has created more than 100 album songs across different subjects. Some of its songs have also been performed by renowned playback singers from Kerala.
Source: Khaleej Times