Emirates celebrates Onam with special festive menu on flights to Kerala
Emirates is joining in the Onam celebrations by serving traditional Kerala dishes onboard its flights. The airline, known for its regionally inspired menus, will offer authentic Onam meals across all cabin classes until September 6. The special menu will be available on flights between Dubai and the Kerala cities of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The dishes have been carefully curated to give travellers a real taste of home during the festive season. Meals will begin with traditional appetisers such as sharkara upperi (banana roasted in jaggery), kaya varuthathu (crispy banana chips), and kondattam mulaku (sundried chillies fried and soaked in yoghurt). Alongside these, customers can enjoy popular dips like kaalan (made of coconut, yoghurt, and yam), cucumber pachadi, and the tangy-sweet puli inji. In First and Business Class, the festive spread will also include Kerala-style pappadam and mango pickle.
The main course options reflect the diversity of Kerala cuisine. Passengers can choose from dishes such as alleppey kozhi curry (chicken cooked in coconut gravy) served with avial, chemba rice, and thoran, or the traditional vegetarian sadhya featuring sambar, kootu, matta rice, and vegetable thorans. Other options include nadan kozhi kari (pan-fried chicken with coconut and spices), Kerala-style chicken stew (exclusive to First Class), and vegetarian choices like padavalanga thoran with erissery and bean thoran.
No Onam feast is complete without dessert, and Emirates has added festive favourites to its menu. Travellers can enjoy palada pradhaman (creamy rice pudding with dry fruits and nuts) or parippu payasam (a sweet lentil pudding topped with roasted coconut). To add to the authenticity, the meals will be served on banana leaf dish liners, just like a traditional Onam sadhya.
Apart from the festive dining experience, Emirates is also offering travellers a wide range of in-flight entertainment to enjoy during the holiday. The airline’s award-winning ice system features more than 6,500 channels, including over 2,000 movies, 650 TV shows, and 4,000 hours of music, podcasts, and audiobooks in 40 languages. Malayalam-speaking passengers can enjoy 15 Malayalam movies such as Ponman, Pani, and Anand Sreebala, along with over 170 Indian films, from classics like Johny Mera Naam to new hits such as Stree 2, Mrs., and Tikdam. Popular Indian TV shows like Koffee with Karan and Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley are also available, along with music albums from artists such as AP Dhillon, Anuv Jain, Bloodywood, and a wide mix of Desi tracks.
With this thoughtful festive menu and entertainment line-up, Emirates is ensuring that Malayali travellers feel at home while celebrating Onam in the skies.