Celebrate Onam 2026 With

Sharkara Upperi

, A Kerala Onam Sadhya Sweet

For Onam 2026, here’s a spotlight on sharkara upper, which is a part of the Onam Sadhya spread, among other sweets. The banana is first trimmed, peeled, and cut into small pieces, then soaked in water to stop it from discolouring. Once fried until they crackle when tapped, the pieces are folded into the syrup and finished with a coating of sugar and rice flour, which dries the surface and stops the sweet from turning sticky. Anyone trying this Onam Sadya recipe for the first time should focus on the jaggery syrup stage, since this is where the recipe can go awry. Sharkara upperi’s syrup needs to reach a one-string consistency, just thick enough to coat the fried banana without sliding off or feeling grainy. The spices should be added later, once the syrup starts to thicken, rather than at the very start, so you can taste and smell them in the sweet. Spices aside, this sharkara upperi also has a rice flour and sugar coating added right at the end, which gives this Onam 2026 special sweet a matte finish rather than the glossy one found in many sweets like gujiya. It can be made in large batches, as nendran bananas are abundant this season, and it can be made ahead and stored to be served alongside payasam and the rest of the Onam Sadhya, or simply with a cup of hot tea on a quiet evening.