A sadya is Kerala’s traditional vegetarian feast, with twenty or more dishes served on a banana leaf in a set order. Banana chips and pickles come first, then rice with sambar and curries, and several kinds of payasam for dessert. It’s the centrepiece of Kerala weddings and festivals such as Onam. You eat it with your right hand.
How is a sadya served?
Guests sit in rows at long tables. Each guest gets a fresh banana leaf, laid with its tip pointing to the left. The servers then work their way down the row, putting each dish in its traditional spot on the leaf. The rice goes in the middle, and the lighter accompaniments along the top.
What is on the leaf?
Menus vary by region and by family, but a wedding sadya usually includes:
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Banana chips and sharkara upperi | Fried banana, plain and coated in jaggery |
| Pickles | Mango and lime, sharp and spicy |
| Pappadam | A crisp lentil wafer |
| Parippu with ghee | Mild lentils, served first over rice |
| Sambar | A lentil and vegetable stew with tamarind |
| Avial | Mixed vegetables in coconut and yoghurt |
| Thoran | Stir-fried vegetables with grated coconut |
| Olan | Ash gourd and beans in coconut milk; very mild |
| Kaalan | Yam or raw banana in yoghurt and coconut |
| Rasam | A thin, peppery tamarind soup |
| Payasam | Sweet puddings, often two or three kinds |
| Moru | Spiced buttermilk to finish |
How do you eat a sadya?
With your right hand. You mix a little rice with each curry in turn. Plenty of guests from abroad give it a go and enjoy it, and there are spoons if you’d rather. Folding the leaf towards you when you’ve finished is a traditional way of saying the meal was good.
Can we have a sadya at our fusion wedding?
Yes, and we’d recommend it. We usually serve it at a lunch function or as the wedding feast itself. We mark the milder dishes for guests who are new to Kerala food, and put a wedding cake at the end of the table.
Questions couples ask
Is a sadya vegetarian?
Yes. A traditional Kerala sadya is entirely vegetarian, though some communities in the north of Kerala add non-vegetarian dishes.
How many dishes are in a sadya?
Usually twenty or more. A big wedding sadya can have many more.
Is sadya food spicy?
Some of it is, such as the pickles and the sambar. Many dishes are mild, though, like olan, avial and payasam.
