‘Sadya’ is the traditional vegetarian feast of Kerala. Usually served as lunch, it features par boiled pink rice, side dishes, savouries, pickles and desserts spread out on a plantain leaf. Tradition insists that the tapering end of the leaf points leftwards of the seated guest. Rice is served on the lower half of the leaf.
The feast begins with the serving of Parippu, a liquid curry made of small gram and ghee. The second course is Sambar, the famous south Indian vegetable stew in which any available combination of vegetables is boiled in a gravy of crushed lentils, onions, chillies, coriander and turmeric, with a pinch of asafoetida.
Avial, an unavoidable side dish is a blend of vegetables, coconut paste and green chillies. It is seasoned with a spoonful of fresh coconut oil and some raw curry leaves stirred in immediately after the dish is taken off the stove.
Some of the other important side dishes include Thoran, and Olan. Thoran can be minced string beans, cabbage, radish or grams, mixed with grated coconut and sautéed with a dash of red chillies and turmeric powder. Olan is a bland dish of pumpkin and red grams cooked in a thin gravy of coconut milk. Read More:’Sadya’ the Traditional Vegetarian Feast of Kerala
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