KOCHI: Inji curry comes with a tinge of sweetness and the pickle is made of tender chandrakkaran mangoes. Bengal gram is not part of kootu curry, but a rather uncustomary uzhunnu vada is. Coconut in sambar? You ought to be kidding. No, parippu is not a side dish as we start our sadya with that, a generous dash of ghee over the canary-yellow curry. And when it comes to payasam, it’s the thick-dark ada pradhaman, not the overly-sweet palada.
Served on a long plantain leaf, the traditional Onam spread is a delectable assortment of tastes and flavours. However, this festive fare is not the same across the state and in Thiruvananthapuram it comes with a distinctive Travancore twist.
In Kochi, however, you see slight variations of the Travancore Onasadhya. For example, if the parippu curry is poured over the rice in the capital, in Ernakulam, it is served as a thick gravy with additional butter. “Every district has a variation in their food and this is the same for the Onasadhya. While in Ernakulam, mangoes are used to make avial more sour, in Kottayam and other districts, yogurt is used,” said Saji Alex, chef de cuisine, Cassava restaurant, Mariott Hotel.
There are varieties also in the way payasams are served. For example, in Thiruvananthapuram, the payasam is served with a bolly and extra sugar, while in Ernakulam, payasam is able to stand on its own.
Tamil Nadu influence
“Thiruvananthapuram has a strong Tamil population and you will see a slight influence of their cuisine in our sadya,” says Hari S, a culinary enthusiast. He adds, “It’s just like the slang, subtle and unique. Though we all speak Malayalam, the local parlance of a place will be different. So our erissery or olan will not be the same you get in Kochi or Kannur,” he explains.
Vada kootu curry is one exclusive dish you find in the local spread, a signature item in the multi-dish sadya. “You will not find vada kootu curry in any other place including the nearest locations like Kollam. Outsiders often think that it’s made of regular uzhunnu vadas. Actually we prepare small globs using the same batter and add them to this potato-onion masala. The small vadas will suck up all gravy giving you a scrumptious, almost-dry curry,” says Swapna Rakesh, culinary expert and blogger.
In her blog swadcuisine.com she explains how to prepare all traditional sadya items in the authentic style. She says parippu, one important part of southern sadya, goes missing in many parts of Kerala.
“For us one pradhaman, ada or pazham, is mandatory and if there is pal payasam it is always served with boli,” she adds. Another dish you may across in the local spread is chakka kootu curry, the jackfruit delicacy seen as part of sadya in some areas of Thiruvananthapuram. “It’s made of half-ripe jackfruit. It’s not a typical sadya item, but a dish that’s usually made as part of the meals just like aviyal and thoran,” says Radhamma, homemaker.
Small limes are not used for pickle as this time it’s ‘naranga curry’ made of big, wild lemons. “We use this variety called vadukanpuli naranga for sadya. It’s less tangy and more sour compared to your regular lime pickle. And then, the ingredients we use for avial are also different giving it a special tint and taste,” says Jayalakshmi, a caterer.
In the capital you can’t imagine a sadya that comes with any non-veg accompaniment. “In Malabar it may be customary to celebrate Onam with a non-veg sadya. But here it’s always a pure vegetarian spread and I believe that Onasadya is to be relished that way only,” says Geetha, a retired school teacher.