Sadya

Sadya(Malayalam:സദ്യ), also spelt assadhya, is a meal ofKeralaorigin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on abananaleaf as lunch.Sadya is typically served as a traditional feast forOnamandVishu,along with other special occasions such as birthdays, weddings and temple festivals.
The Malayalam wordsadya(സദ്യ) derives fromSanskritságdhi-(सग्धि), referring to a communal feast.
A typical sadya can have about 24–28 dishes served as a single course.In cases where it is much larger, it can have over 64 or more items, such as the sadya for Aranmula Vallamkali (Valla-sadya).During a traditional sadya meal, people are seatedcross-leggedon mats.Food is eaten with the right hand, without cutlery.The fingers are cupped to form aladle.
The main dish is plain boiledrice, served along with other curries/koottaan(കൂട്ടാന്‍) which includeparippu,sambar,rasam,pulisseriand others likekaalan,avial,thoran,olan,pachadi,kichadi,koottukari,erissery,mango pickle,injipuli,mezhukkupuratti,naranga achaar (lime pickle), as well aspapadam,plantain chips,sharkara upperi,banana, plaincurdandbuttermilk.The buttermilk is typically served near the end of the meal.The traditional dessert calledpayasamserved at the end of the meal is of many kindsand usually three or more are served.  Some of the varieties are Paalada pradhaman,Ada pradhaman, Parippu pradhaman, Chakka pradhaman, Gothampu payasam, Paal payasam, etc. The multiple curries are all made with different vegetables and have their own flavor. The variety of curries is to symbolize prosperity and well-being.
The dishes are served in different spots on the banana leaf.For example, the pickles are served on the top left corner and the banana in the bottom left corner, which helps the waiters to easily identify and decide on offering additional servings. The most common ingredients in all the dishes are coconut as it is abundant in Kerala. Coconut milk is used in some dishes, and coconut oil is used for frying.
There are variations in the menu depending on the place. Although the custom is to use traditional and seasonal vegetables indigenous to Kerala or the Southwest Coast of India, it has become common practice to include vegetables such as carrots, pineapples, and beans in the dishes. Traditionally, onion and garlic are not typically used in the sadya. The meal may be followed by chewing ofvettila murukkaan,betel leafwith lime and arecanut. This helps with the digestion of the meal and cleanses the palate.
The sadya is usually served for lunch,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 lightednilavilakkuas an offering toGanapati.
In a sadya, the meals are served on abanana leaf.The leaf is folded and closed once the meal is finished.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.However, the direction the leaf is folded in can have different meanings in various parts of Kerala.
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.However, different styles and approaches to making and serving the dishes are adopted in various parts of Kerala depending on local preferences.Aranmula Valla-sadyais the most celebrated sadya with over 64 items served traditionally.
The items include:
These side dishes are followed by desserts like Pradhaman and Payasams.
Pradhamanis a sweet dish in the form of a thick liquid; similar topayasam, but with more variety in terms of ingredients and more elaborately made.  It is made with whitesugaror jaggery to which coconut milk is added. The main difference between a pradhaman and a payasam is that the former uses coconut milk, while the liquid versions of payasam use cow's milk.