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Kerala Sadya Explained: India's Incredible Vegetarian Feast

Visiting Kerala? Don't miss a sadya. Watch a full feast served on a banana leaf at a restaurant in Kodungallur, one dish at a time, with every dish explained.

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Fries, chips & sweet plantain
Already on the leaf when you sit down: bitter gourd fries, plantain chips, and plantain coated in jaggery.

Inchipuli
A sweet and sour ginger chutney.

Naranga curry
A spicy, tangy lemon pickle.

Manga curry
Kerala-style pickle made with fresh mangoes.

Vellarikka pachadi
A refreshing cucumber dish with yogurt and coconut.

Pineapple pachadi
Also coconut and yogurt, but it tastes completely different. Amazing what a small change does.

Aviyal
Mixed vegetables, any kind you like. Heavenly, and the star of the leaf.

Ulli theeyal
Roasted shallots with a little tamarind and coconut.

Ishtu
A mild stew of vegetables in coconut milk.

Kaalan
Made with raw plantains.

Long beans thoran
A dry dish with roasted coconut.

Banana & papadum
The banana is for mashing into your payasam; the papadum is for crunch.

Kerala red rice
The main event: every curry is eaten with it.

Parippu with ghee
Lentils with coconut, served on top of the rice.

Sambar
Another lentil dish (a different lentil) with vegetables.

Payasam
Dessert, made with lentils, jaggery, roasted coconut and coconut milk. There was a white payasam too.

Rasam & buttermilk
Kept on the table to help yourself.

Where I ate it. Seashore Residency in Kodungallur, Kerala.

It's unlimited. As soon as you finish something, they serve more, until you say "Chetta, please stop!" because you're so full.

Banana goes in the payasam. Mash it into the dessert, the traditional way.

Small changes, big differences. The cucumber and pineapple pachadis share a base but taste nothing alike.

Just ask for it. Ask for the sadya when you're in Kerala. It's a fantastic experience.

From the CurryPlusPlus kitchen:

Homemade Sadya Thali 3 Mung Dal Curries Plantain Chips Okra Tamarind Curry

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Kerala Sadya Explained: India's Incredible Vegetarian Feast

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