Kerala Tourism and Kerala Travel will be a memorable one by having a Kerala Sadya, the highlight of any Malayali function whether it be birthday, marriage or just a get together. It is very much part and parcel of the Malayali socio – cultural psyche.
Kerala Sadya is traditionally a vegetarian, is a gourmet’s delight with as many as 24 items to devour. Served typically in a plantain leaf, with the tip to the left of the person sitting besides, each item has a specific place. Pickles must be served on top left corner and banana chips on the bottom left corner. This makes it easy for the waiters to identify the requirement of the diner by just looking at the leaf.
The dishes include plain boiled rice, curries, papadam, butter milk, chips and payasams. The curries are made of different vegetables and have different flavors. Coconut, being abundant in Kerala, is a major ingredient of all dishes.
Payasam takes the pride of place in any Sadya.It is in the form of thick liquid. There are different varieties depending on the ingredients. It is made with white sugar or jaggery to which milk or coconut milk is added. For example 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. And so on.
Just as the proof of the pudding is in eating, the sign of a good sadya is a clean, well wiped leaf with no left overs. And that suggests the occasion is truly blessed.