SADHYA: SAVORING KERALA’S CULTURE AND TASTE (INDIA)
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Have you tried the Sadhya (also spelled as Sadya)? We have just experienced the Traditional Sadhya meal together with other bloggers when we were hosted by The Windflower Resort & Spa, Vythiri for 2 days and 2 nights stay at their beautiful resort in Wayanad, Kerala, India.
Mr. Vinod M M, Resort General Manager of the The Windflower Resort & Spa, Vythiri explaining about Sadhya
Upon entering the dining hall I saw several banana leaves lined on the table while the resort’s waiters were putting some food in it. Instantly, I knew that they were up to let us try something traditional – something that’s very Kerala. When we were all seated, the Resort’s Manager Mr. Vinod M M, started to explain what they have prepared for us.
Yes, they have prepared the Sadhya for us.
Sadhya is a traditional vegetarian feast in Kerala usually served as lunch on a banana leaf. During a traditional Sadhya celebration, people are seated cross-legged on mats. But in our case, our host just opted to serve the meal at the table. Maybe they were thinking that it would be uncomfortable for us to sit on the floor.
I became so excited about Sadhya that even after the meal I continued asking the resort’s Executive Chef Mr. Paneer Selvam and some restaurant staff about its nature and descent. I gathered from my interview that Sadhya means banquet in Malayalam. This spread is usually prepared mainly by men, especially when needed in large quantities, for weddings and other special events.
Sadyah is eaten without cutlery using one’s right hand. A normal Sadhya can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course. In instances where it is a much larger, it can have over 64 items in a Sadya.
What made Sadhya even more interesting, were the conventions and rituals observed while serving the food.The items must be placed on specific spots of the banana leaf in a certain order. For instance, the pickles must be served on the top left corner and the banana on the bottom left corner. In this manner, the waiters will easily identify and decide on offering additional servings. The most common ingredients in all the dishes are rice and coconut as they are abundant in Kerala.
my good friend and fellow blogger from Indonesia Haryadi Yansyah enjoying the Sadhya
It is said that for bigger occasions like wedding, the people in the neighborhood would spend the night to help in preparing the food. They would also volunteer to serve the food to the guests at the banquet.
The following were the dishes and the sequence of serving our Sadyha meal:
Before we arrived, waiters had already prepared the following on a banana leaf:
Salt, Chakaravarati (jackfruit chips tossed in jaggery syrup), Nendran chips ( nendran banana chips) and Narangai achar ( lemon pickle)
while indulging at the Sadhya Feast……was I concentrating too much? Lol
After we were seated, the waiters started to add the following:
Inji curry (ginger tamarind curry), Ulli theeyal ( shallots in browned coconut gravy), Beetroot pachadi ( beets and yoghurt curry), Olan ( Ash gourd and black eyed beans in coconut milk), Kosuthoran ( cabbage tossed with onion and coconut), Beans milagupiratti ( beans tossed with chilli and cumin), Rice, Katti parippu ( pigeon pea and Bengal gram with shallots with lots of clarified butter), Ghee ( clarified butter), Sambhar ( lentil and vegetable curry with tamarind), Rasam ( a thin tamarind pepper soup), Pineapple kalan ( pineapple cooked in yoghurt and coconut), Moru ( spiced butter milk),Papadum ( crispy papads)
These 2 desserts were served the moment they saw that we were done eating the main dishes: Parippu pradhaman (mung bean cooked with jaggery and coconut milk), Pazham ( banana)
After we have concluded our meal, we were given a bowl of water with a slice of lemon to remove the grease and oil on our hands.
Another interesting ritual or rule when having the Sadya was the folding of Banana leaf once one is done with the meal. Moreover, It is customary that none should leave the dining area until the eldest in the group is done eating.
Generally, I did enjoy our Sadhya meal. For me, one’s trip to Kerala will never be complete without trying this feast.
Thank you very much Windflower Resorts Spa Vythiri for hosting us.
Address:
The Windflower Resort & Spa, Vythiri
330/1, Annapoorna Estate, Ammaro Achooranam Village,
Pozhuthana Post, Vythiri Thaluk
Wayanad, Kerala- 673575
Ph: +91 9895226611,9895221166
Mob: +91 8129823660
Website: www.thewindflower.com
I say you’ve had quite an experience having this Indian feast! I love curry and anything with coconut milk.
true, I really enjoyed the Sadhya feast…I love the history behind it 🙂
This looks so tasty! Serving from a banana leaf is a really cool way to serve food.
yes, Sadhya Feast is really fun. I guess one must try this when visiting Kerala
I have always wanted to visit Kerala. Just for the food. Great post
Thank you. You will surely enjoy Kerala cuisines 🙂
I love going to different countries and experiencing the local culture! Your meal looked so good and I liked how it was served on the banana leaf.
true, the banana leaf added so much fun in this feast 🙂
Love when I travel and experience new cultures! This would be so amazing!
true, Sadhya is not only a gastronomic but a cultural experience as well 🙂
I would love to attend a vegetarian feast. Everything looks great.
thank you. It’s nice to try this one
Being a chef this place would definitely be somewhere I’d visit. Looks delicious.
Derrick, I am sure you will love Kerala 🙂
Looks like an amazing place. The food is just amazing
true, the history and the cultural background of the feast made it more interesting for me :
To experience this would be awesome! I love sampling food from different countries. I think food served on a banana leaf is so unique. I love that people are not allowed to leave the table until the elders are done. So respectful!
yes, the culture and the history makes the whole thing interesting 🙂
I’ve always heard indian food is spicy so i’m up for try some 😀
Looks like so much fun. I love learning about different traditions and rituals.
traditions and cultures are some of my interests each time I travel 🙂
This looks like so much fun. I love the rice dish.
It was a lot of fun for us…it’s more of an experience 🙂
What a freat experience. I miss food that is laid on a banana leaf!
yes, the banana leaf even enhances the flavor of the food as it gives some aroma into it 🙂
Learning about the food rituals was interesting. I had no idea other places did that.
Yes, learning this one made me think of other cultures as well
oh wow what an amazing experience to have great memories made for sure
indeed, it was an experience…now I can tell that I did it!
That looks like a wonderful experience. That would be memorable experience for sure.
it was a memorable experience. At least when I see a picture of this feast in the future , I can tell some stories about it 🙂
This is a great opportunity to learn about the dish from the different country.
yes, the experience had opened my horizon especially on learning other cultures
So cute and fun! I missed that in the Philippines. Love to visit there.
Oh, so you have tried this in the Philippines ?
looks delicious!! Thanks for posting
Thank you for dropping, yes this is delicious
I love learning about other cultures! This looks so delicious!
yes, I guess the best way to learn is by experiencing it
What an amazing experience, I’d love to try dining like this, especially with authentic and traditional dishes! Eating this way makes it more fun and it’s good quality time spent with family and friends!
true, actually the fun spent with your loved ones make it more interesting during any meal
I really hope I get to sample a delicious banana leaf meal one day as I am a vegetarian too!
then you will surely love Indian Food
What a fun and unique experience! Would love to try this one day!
I defintely need to start being less fussy! This food looks great! x
yes,I was fussy too and visual eater, but I need to forget my standards so that I will understand more their culture
This seems like a very cool place to visit. I am enjoying your postings about it.
India is such a cool place to visit
Eating with my hands would feel weird to me when with a group. I love that they used banana leaves for plates.
yes, for some I know… but it’s how they do it, and it’s fun!
I love how the food is served on the banana leaves! It’s just such a beautiful setting! This sounds like such a lovely event!
yes, it was such a beautiful setting, I even tried using banana leaf at home when I had one weekend party.
So cute! We do the same here in our provinces. We eat on banana leaves and eat with our hands as well.
Really? well, some restaurants are even doing it already, serving food in banana leaf 🙂
Sounds like a lovely event. I would love to visit there someday!
It was a lovely feast, and they don’t do it everyday anymore
exotic food of Kerala, India..hope to try it
I think I knew the guy in 5th picture. He looks so handsome and… starving! lol.
Aaaa, I miss windflowers and also the monkeys who always waiting me in front of my villa.
hahaha, he was the most handsome among the Asian Blogger