thumb|Traditional Kerala sadya

Sadya or oonu (), also spelt sadhya, is a meal of Kerala origin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf as lunch. Sadya is typically served as a traditional feast for the Hindu festivals of Onam and Vishu, as well as other special occasions such as birthdays and weddings.

Etymology

The Malayalam word sadya () derives from Sanskrit ságdhi- (), referring to a communal feast.

Overview

thumb|left|Valla sadya

A typical sadya can have about 24–28 dishes served as a single course. In some cases, where it is much larger, it can include over 64 items, such as the sadya for Aranmula Vallamkali (Valla-sadya). Food is eaten with the right hand, without cutlery. The buttermilk is typically served near the end of the meal. with lime and arecanut. This helps with the digestion of the meal and cleanses the palate. although a lighter version is served for dinner as well. Preparations begin the night before, and the dishes are prepared before ten o'clock in the morning on the day of the celebration. Nowadays, sadya is often served on tables, as people no longer find it convenient to sit on the floor. Sourcing of items/ingredients for a sadya is an elaborate and careful process to ensure quality. The lighting of the fire to prepare the sadya is done after a prayer to Agni, and the first serving is offered on a banana leaf in front of a lighted nilavilakku as an offering to Ganapati.

In a sadya, the meals are served on a banana leaf. In some instances, closing the leaf toward you communicates satisfaction with the meal, while folding it away from oneself signifies that the meal can be improved.

The Central Travancore-style sadya is known to be the most disciplined and tradition-bound. There is usually an order followed in serving the dishes, starting from the chips and pickles first.

Typical ingredients

The items include:

thumb|250px|Sadya items. Clockwise from top: [[paayasam (in mug), bittergourd thoran, aviyal, kaalan, lime pickle, saambaar, buttermilk, boiled rice in centre]]

  • Rice: It is the main item in a sadya. It is usually Kerala red rice (semi-polished parboiled brown) which is used for the sadya, but Kerala matta rice is sometimes used.
  • Parippu: A thick curry lentil dish.
  • Sambar: A thick gravy made of lentils, tamarind, vegetables like drumsticks, tomato, yam etc., and flavoured with asafoetida.
  • Rasam: A watery dish made of tamarind,
  • Erissery: A thick curry made from pumpkin, black-eyed peas and coconut.
  • Pachadi: Sour curry made of curd and usually cucumber or sliced ash gourd cooked in coconut ground with mustard seeds and seasoned with sautéed mustard seeds and curry leaves.
  • Sweet Pachadi: A sweet form of Pachadi, made with pineapple, pumpkin or grapes in curd. A sweet variant called Mampazha-pulissheri replaces cucumber with a combination of ripe mangoes and jaggery.
  • Injipuli: A sweet pickle made of ginger, tamarind, green chilies, and jaggery, also called Puli-inji.
  • Thoran: A dish of sautéed vegetables such as peas, green beans, raw jackfruit, carrots, or cabbage (usually) with grated coconut.
  • Mezhukkupuratti: A style of preparation for a vegetarian dish where the vegetable is stir-fried with spices. Chopped onions or shallots may also be used.
  • Achaar: Spicy pickles of raw mango (Mango pickle), lime, (Narangakari) etc.
  • Pappadam: Made with lentil flour, it is paired with rice and can be eaten as an appetizer.
  • Sharkara upperi: Banana chips with jaggery.
  • Pazha pradhaman is made of cooked "nendra" plantain or banana in jaggery and coconut milk.
  • Gothambu pradhaman is made of broken wheat.
  • Chakka prathaman is made of jackfruit.
  • Ada pradhaman is made of rice-ada (Rice flakes).
  • Kadala pradhaman is made from black gram.

See also

  • Cuisine of Kerala
  • Kamayan (a similar meal from the Philippines)
  • Onam sadya
  • Trivandrum Sadhya
  • Trivandrum Boli
  • South Indian cuisine
  • Thali

References