Sadya
The Kerala vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, with up to two dozen dishes in a set order.
Also: onam sadya, Kerala feast, banana-leaf feast, sadhya
Sadya is the grand meal of Kerala, eaten on festivals such as Onam and Vishu and at weddings. It is served on a banana leaf, with dozens of dishes placed in set positions, salt, pickles, banana chips and sarkara upperi at the left, and rice in the middle. Courses include parippu with ghee, sambar, avial, thoran, olan, kaalan, rasam, buttermilk and several payasams for dessert. Spices appear at each step: coconut oil with mustard and curry leaf for thoran, pepper in rasam, cardamom and dried ginger in payasam, asafoetida in sambar. Guests sit on the floor, eat with the hand, and fold the leaf at the end to show satisfaction.