Traditional Kerala Lunch - Sadhya

Sadhya means "big feast" in Malayalam it is a big feast associated with a special occasion. A Sadhya is traditionally a vegetarian meal served on a plantain or banana leaf; people eat sitting cross-legged on the floor; it requires a special skill to eat the food from the leaf without spilling it.

There is a specific place for each item on the plantain leaf. The Sadhya is usually served as lunch. The curries are made of different vegetables and are of different tastes. The idea of making many dishes in the Sadhya is that there will be at least two or three dishes liked by everybody. Coconut, being abundant in Kerala, is used in almost all dishes. Coconut milk also finds various uses in cooking. Coconut oil is used for frying.

The meal is always followed by Vettila Murukkan, i.e., chewing of betel leaf with lime and arecanut. This adds to the digestion of the heavy meal and also cleanses the palate.

The usual items in a Sadhya

Parippu: A thick lentil dish eaten with rice, Papadum and ghee.

Sambar: Thick gravy made of lentils, tamarind, coconut, vegetables like drumsticks, tomato, etc., and flavored with asafoetida.

Rasam: A watery dish made of tamarind, tomatoes, and spices like black pepper, asafetida, coriander, chili pepper, etc. It is very spicy in taste and aids in digestion.

Aviyal: Thick mixture of all vegetables, yogurt, and coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. This dish is usually made of leftover vegetables.

Kaalan: Made of yogurt, coconut, and any one vegetable like "nendran" plantain or a tuber-like yam. It is very thick and more sour than avial.

Olan: A preparation of pumpkin, coconut milk, and ginger seasoned with coconut oil.

Koottukari: One or two vegetables like banana and coconut with a hot and sweet taste.

Kichadi: Made of yogurt and cucumber in raw or cooked form.

Injipuli: Curry made of ginger, tamarind, green chilies, and jaggery.

Thoran: A sauteed dish of vegetables like peas, green beans, raw jackfruit, carrots, or cabbage with grated coconut.

Pickles (Achar): Spicy pickled vegetables like mango, lemon, lime, etc

Pradhaman - It is a sweet dish in the form of a thick liquid. It is made with white sugar or Jaggery to which milk or coconut milk is added. There are different types of Pradhamans as:

* Palada Pradhaman is made of flakes of cooked rice, milk, and sugar.
* Pazha Pradhaman is made of cooked "Nendra" Plantain in Jaggery and coconut milk.
* Gothambu Pradhaman is made of broken wheat.
* Parippu Pradhaman is made of green gram.
* Chakka Pradhaman is made of jackfruit.