Volume I · Bhadrapad – Ashwin
September
Kerala Onam & the Pitta Turn
Sharad · autumnVolume II plan for September →
The season
Varsha → Sharad (late monsoon to autumn)
| Aspect | In the book |
|---|---|
| Hindu months | Bhadrapad – Ashwin |
| Ritu | Varsha → Sharad (late monsoon to autumn) |
| Weather | ≈ 23 – 32 °C, rains easing, sunny humid days |
| Agni | Recovering — moderate |
| Dosha | Pitta aggravated (sudden sun after rains); Vata settling |
| Favour | Sweet, bitter, astringent; cooling, mildly unctuous; ghee preferred to oil |
| Limit | Sour, salty, pungent excess; curd; fried and fermented foods; excessive sun |
In season
Vegetables
Lauki, kaddu, arbi, bhindi, torai, ash gourd, raw banana, yam (suran), beans
Fruit
Guava, pomegranate, pear, apple, custard apple (late), banana
Other
Coconut, singhara (late), old rice
Festivals & observances
| Occasion | In the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Onam (Kerala, Aug/Sep) | A Sadhya-style Vata–Pitta plate: parippu with ghee, olan, avial, erissery, pachadi, payasam. |
| Ganesh Chaturthi (Bhadrapad) | Steamed ukadiche modak (small), sundal (soft-cooked). |
| Pitru Paksha (Bhadrapad Purnima – Amavasya) | Simple sattvic shraddh food: kheer, kaddu, arbi, puri (offer phulka to elders). |
Kitchen guidance
- Pitta season begins: reduce chilli, sour and salt; increase ghee, milk, rice, coconut.
- Coconut-based Kerala dishes suit both Vata elders and Pitta season.
- Bitter vegetables (karela, neem-free methi) twice a week.
- Shraddh fortnight: keep a simple sattvic thali available for guests performing rites.
Daily rituals
- On waking
- Room-temperature water with soaked coriander seeds
- At bedtime
- Warm milk with a pinch of cardamom and mishri
Seven-day menu
The week at the table
Monday
- Breakfast
- Oats–moong savoury porridge · pomegranate
- Lunch thali
- Kerala parippu (moong with coconut)
- Olan (ash gourd & cowpea)
- Avial (mixed vegetables, coconut–curd)
- rice & phulka
- Beetroot pachadi (warm)
- Sweet
- Parippu payasam (80 ml)
Tuesday
- Breakfast
- Idiyappam with sweet coconut milk
- Lunch thali
- Lauki–moong dal
- Beans thoran
- Raw-banana poriyal
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Coconut water
- Dinner
- Moong khichdi
- Sweet
- Rice kheer
Wednesday
- Breakfast
- Puttu (rice flour) with banana
- Lunch thali
- Erissery (pumpkin–lobia)
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- Bhindi with coconut
- rice & phulka
- Coconut chutney
- Evening
- Roasted makhana
- Dinner
- Lauki soup · phulka
- Sweet
- Ukadiche modak (1)
Thursday
- Breakfast
- Rice kanji with ghee
- Lunch thali
- Moong yusha
- Arbi ajwaini
- Lauki–peas
- rice & phulka
- Inji (ginger) chutney (small)
- Evening
- Pomegranate (½ cup)
- Dinner
- Vegetable stew · idiyappam
- Sweet
- Coconut ladoo
Friday
- Breakfast
- Moong dal chilla · coconut chutney
- Lunch thali
- Toor dal (mild)
- Carrot–beet thoran
- Torai–moong
- rice & phulka
- Cucumber kichadi
- Evening
- CCF tea
- Dinner
- Moong yusha · rice
- Sweet
- Banana–jaggery halwa
Saturday
- Breakfast
- Ragi porridge · guava
- Lunch thali
- Moong–masoor
- Olan (ash gourd & cowpea)
- Avial (mixed vegetables, coconut–curd)
- rice & phulka
- Beetroot pachadi (warm)
- Evening
- Banana with cardamom & ghee
- Dinner
- Namkeen dalia
- Sweet
- Palada (light, 60 ml)
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Soft upma · pear
- Lunch thali
- Kalan (yam in curd–coconut, lunch)
- Beans thoran
- Raw-banana poriyal
- rice & phulka
- Spiced takra
- Evening
- Sweet-potato chaat
- Dinner
- Pumpkin–lentil soup · rice
- Sweet
- Sooji kesari (40 g)
Nutrition
Energy in the featured recipes
Energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate
kcal per serving (protein & carbs × 4, fat × 9)
This month's six recipes
Vol I · Sep 1September
Oats–Moong Savoury Porridge (Oats Khichdi)
BreakfastMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
209 kcal7.7 g proteinSoft porridge
View recipe →
Vol I · Sep 2September
Kerala Parippu Curry (Moong with Coconut)
Lunch · DalMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
210 kcal9.6 g proteinSoft, smooth
View recipe →
Vol I · Sep 3September
Olan (Ash Gourd & Cowpea in Coconut Milk)
Lunch · SabziMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
198 kcal4.4 g proteinVery soft
View recipe →
Vol I · Sep 4September
Stewed Pear with Cinnamon & Clove
Evening · SnackMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
109 kcal0.7 g proteinSpoon-soft
View recipe →
Vol I · Sep 5September
Rice Kanji with Ghee, Cumin & Ginger · Payar
DinnerMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
180 kcal5 g proteinThin porridge
View recipe →
Vol I · Sep 6September
Parippu Payasam (Moong–Jaggery–Coconut Milk)
SweetMonsoonAutumn
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
206 kcal4.2 g proteinThick, smooth
View recipe →Signature dish