Why Traditionally, Indians -- -- have always eaten with their Hands Eg- Sadhya The Kerala Theme Our hands and feet are said to be the conduits of the five elements. The Ayurvedic texts teach that each finger is an extension of one of the five elements. The thumb is agni (fire) -- you might have seen children sucking their thumb, this is natures way of aiding the digestion at an age when they are unable to chew; the forefinger is vayu (air), the middle finger is akash (ether -- the tiny intercellular spaces in the human body), the ring finger is prithvi (earth) and the little finger is jal (water), the paper explains. The banana leaf experience from the traditional sadya, or banquet, in Malayalam, . Sadya is traditionally a vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf on special occasions, during weddings and other celebrations. All the dishes are served on the leaf and eaten with hands sans cutlery, the palm and fingers being cupped to form a ladle. A sadya can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course and is usually served for lunch as it is quite heavy on the stomach. The centerpiece of sadya is navara, a medicinal rice type, that is one of the native genetic resources of Kerala and famed for its use in Ayurveda. Navara is used as a nutritional rice and health food and is said to be therapeutic for conditions such as arthritis, paralysis, ulcers, urinary tract infections, neuralgic and neurological disorders. A typical sadya menu - Banana Chips Jagerry Chips Achar Kerala Pappadom Parippu Curry (Simmered lentils enhanced with ghee) Pachadi (Preserved cucumber in Yoghurt) Inchi Puli (An emulsion of tamarind, jaggery and ginger) Kichadi (Coconut enriched gravy with pineapple) Erissery (Mashed Pumpkins and red beans in coconut) Kaalan (Raw banana cooked in mildly spiced coarse coconut) Olan (White pumpkin simmered with beans in coconut milk) Avial (Ethnic vegetable cooked dry with coarsely ground coconut and yoghurt) Thoran (Any local vegetable cooked dry with coarsely ground coconut) Kootu Curry (Assortment of vegetables and spices) Sambar (Stew of lentil and vegetables) Pulissery (Tempered yoghurt with turmeric with curry leaf infusion) Pachamoru (Spiced butter milk) Banana Payasam (Dessert with jaggery, coconut milk flavored with cardamom)
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:24:15 +0000
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