Inside the Onam sadhya kitchen — 24 dishes, 600 leaves, 5am start

The volunteer kitchen crew walks through the run-of-show: which dishes are made the night before, the great aviyal debate, and how to get on the serving line.

Sambar and aviyal cook morning-of; the payasams and pickles finish the night before. Serving-line volunteers train for exactly one thing — the order of the 24 items on the leaf — and defend it with their lives.