Traditional South Indian Meals on a Banana Leaf

A celebration in South India means

eating food the traditional way on a
tender Banana leaf.

Advantages of eating on a fresh and

clean banana leaf:
- Hot food served on a banana leaf
takes nutritional and medicinal values
of the banana tree.
- Provides a fresh plate for each meal.
- Is bio-degradable.
- Ghee and oil does not stick to the Banana leaf.
- Traditional way of eating in South India.

All the side dishes are served at the top half of the leaf, and once the sambar hits
the rice, the race begins. The four courses are sambar, rasam, payasam and
curd, and to do justice, you must pace yourself like a long - distance runner

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So here’s a picture of the “NuNi ilai sAppAdu” (to give it the precise name) that I
clicked at a friend’s wedding recently.

“elai” (which is,gramatically, “ilai” in “pure” Tamizh) comes in two varieties at

mealtimes. There are the squarish or rectangularish pieces that we have our
informal meals, or light meals such as breakfast or “tiffin” or snacks on. and the
“NuNi elai”. This is the large frond of the leaf with the tip (“NuNi”) intact, and
both sides of the leaf are used to serve the food on, as you can see, but the rice
is mixed and eaten from the bottom half of the leaf.

The tip of the leaf is always to the left-hand-side for the person who is going to sit
and eat. This never seems to vary in South India, but in the North, I have even
sometimes seen the leaf with the tip facing upwards, apart from to the right. If
anyone tries putting down the leaf facing the other way, they are swiftly
corrected!

For the formal meal or “sAppAdu” as it is called, the order of serving the items
on the menu, and their place on the leaf, also seems to be set in stone! Let’s go
over the items on the “top” half of the leaf…

Service generally starts from the top right-hand side of the leaf and goes to the
left. Let’s start with that steel tumbler of water (that would normally be on the
left-hand-side of the person eating, as the right hand would be used to eat..in
fact, this one actually belongs to the next leaf; the right placement can be seen
on the …er…left!)

Next to it is a bowl containing a sweet, in this instance, “pathir pENi”, which has
flavoured milk poured into it. It is a recent phenomenon to have it in a bowl, as

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earlier this, with other sweets such as pAyasam, would be served after the
second course of rice.

To the left of the sweet is “thayir pacchadi”, which is yogurt with some chopped
vegetable such as cucumber or carrots, tempered with spluttered mustard
seeds and chillies.

Then comes “kOsumalli”, which is soaked lentils, mixed with other chopped raw
vegetables such as carrot or cucumber, with chopped chillies for added tang. It
is extremely light and nutritious and I could live on this one dish alone if need be!

Just below the “kOsumalli” we have the “kari” (in this, potato roast or “uruLai
roast”, which is a great favourite at feasts along with small-onion or shallot
sAmbAr.) It’s reddish in colour, because of the chilli powder that has gone into
its making.

Just above that is “aviyal” (which is a well-liked import from Kerala) and consists
of mixed vegetables boiled in a coconut/buttermilk base.

To the left of that is “koottu”, which could be any vegetable (in this case, ash
gourd) in a coconut/spices/lentil gravy. It’s yellowish in colour because of the
lentils.

To the left of the “koottu” is the “ushili kari” which is a vegetable (beans in this
case) with ground steamed lentils.

Next to that is “mOr miLagAi”, small chilies that have been soaked in buttermilk,
dried for several days, and fried for the occasion. For some reason, the “vadai”
a fried lentil item (which could be of two types, “Amai” or “medhu” vadai) is
missing…

A little under the “ushili” are the “varuval” (chips); these are made from
potatoes, or two or three different kinds of plantains; here, these yellow ones
are made from “nEndrangAi”.

A spoon (recent addition to help people not used to eating from the leaf, and to
access the contents of the bowls) peeps out from the “appaLAM”, a fried item
also made of lentils..that’s the big round disc that you see. I rather think that the
appaLAm is hiding the vadai…

On top of the leaf are two more innovations. One is a stainless steel bowl
containing “pAyasam”, or sweet porridge, in this case, made of rice, milk and
sugar. Normally, this too would be served after the second course of rice.

On the left is a little (SO cute!) earthenware pot of set yogurt. The milk is poured
into these pots the night before and the curd sets. Normally, the curd and

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buttermilk would be served as the third course to be mixed with the rice and
eaten with the pickles or “mOr miLagAi”, and perhaps a little sAmbAr as well.

Below the “equator” of the leaf, we have the “shAtham” ( cooked rice), and at 9
o’clock on the rice, there’s the “paruppu” or boiled lentils; at 12 o’clock, we
have the sAmbar, a preparation of lentils in a tamarind sauce base, with many
boiled vegetables (as I said, the delectable sAmbAr vegetables are supposed to
be “chinna vengAyam” or shallots, or “murungakkAi” or “drumstick vegetable”.)
At 5 o’clock is the “mOr kuzhambu”, another import from Kerala, which consists
of ash gourd in a coconut/buttermilk gravy.

Finally, there is a bowl of cut fruits for a fruit salad, which is a recent innovation
too; tradition would have a small banana served on the left-hand-side of the leaf.
Note also the plastic fork!

The rice is mixed, first with the sAmbar, then with the mOr kuzhambu, and eaten
along with the accompaniments.

More rice is then served, and “rasam” (a very liquid preparation with lentils and
tamarind) is also served and mixed with the rice and eaten.

Then the sweets and some “chitrAnnam” (rice made with coconuts or tamarind)
are served and eaten, as also the fruits.

Finally rice is served and is mixed with the curds or buttermilk, and eaten. At this
point the diner is normally stuffed to the gills!

One then staggers off to wash one’s hands, and at a separate place, “vethalai
pAkku” (betel leaves and areca nut along with lime paste) is served; one can just
fold the leaves into one’s mouth, or fold them into artistic “beedA”s and pop
them. They are supposed to be digestive and carminative and a really big meal
must be followed by “vethalai pAkku”.

And the card in front of the leaf….in an another smart move, the caterer has put
out a card listing the items to be served at the feast, and added his contact
details….a very savvy business technique!

There is a reason why we don’t have attire with belts, traditionally…the belt
would have to be loosed a couple of notches after such a meal!

Now that the meal has transferred itself from the equator of the leaf to the
equator of the diner, good-bye, all, as a satisfactory post-prandial nap is
indulged in….

Karnataka

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The food has to be served on a tender Banana leaf, laid with the end to the left.
The meal is traditionally served on a mat laid on the floor. A strict order of
serving the dishes one after the another is obeyed. Besides, there are clear
directions as to what will be served in which part of the banana leaf. First full
course meal is served for Lord Ganapathi in front of a lighted oil lamp (Nila
Vilakku). This is in accordance with the Malayalese trend of starting everything
in the name and presence of God.

There is a distinct order of serving the the grand feast of Onam. Pappad or
Pappadum is to be served on the extreme left. On top of the big pappadum
banana is served. The banana can be 'Rasakadali', 'Poovan', 'Palayankodan'.
From the right pappad - salt, banana wafers, sarkarapuratti fries are served.
After this, ginger lime and mango pickles are served. Next comes 'vellarika',
'pavakka', beetroot and 'ullikitchadi'. 'Kitchadi' made of pineapple and banana
splits or of grapes and apple is served along with this. On the right, 'cabbage
thoran' is served. Then comes a thoran made of beans and avil followed by
bread and green peas mix 'thoran'. The meal will be complete with the 'avial' and
'kootu curry'.

The meal is served in a creative way on tender banana leaf with the end to the
left hand side

and to be consumed by hands and not by spoon or forks. A strict order of the
serving of

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the dishes one after another and also there are clear direction as to what will be
served in

which part of the banana leaf. The first course of serving is Parippu, Salt,
Pappadam,

Pickles, chips and all the curries one after another in predetermined order, at
the

assigned place on the banana lleaf.

eaf. Then the main dish rice is served with pure
ghee. The

next course is Sambar over rice. Next Rice followed

llowed by Rasam over rice. The
next course

is Payasam. The feast is completed with serving yogurt over the rice.

Onam feast Lunch

Karnataka

Karnataka food served on a plantain leaf.

The cuisine of Karnataka includes many vegetarian and non-vegetarian

vegetarian
cuisines. The varieties reflect influences from the food habits of many regions
and communities from the three neighbouring South Indian states, as well as a the
state of Maharashtra to its north. Some typical dishes include Bisi bele bath,
bath
Jolada rotti, Chapati, Ragi rott
rotti, Akki rotti, Saaru, Huli, Vangi Bath,, Khara Bath,
Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dosa Dosa, Ragi mudde, and Uppittu.. The famous
Masala Dosa traces its origin to Udupi cuisine. Plain and Rave Idli,
MysoreMasala Dosa and Maddur Vade are popular in South Karnataka. Coorg
district is famous for spicy varieties of pork curries while coastal Karnataka
boasts of many tasty seafood specialities. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Pak Dharwad
pedha, Chiroti are well known.Although the ingredients differ from one region to
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another, a typical Kannadiga Oota (Kannadiga meal) includes the following
dishes in the order specified and is served on a banana leaf: Uppu(salt),
Uppu(
Kosambari, Pickle, Palya, Gojju, Raita, Dessert (Yes, it is a tradition to start your
meal with a dessert - Paaysa), Thovve, Chitranna, Rice and Ghee

Traditionally in southern India, a well-rinsed

rinsed banana leaf is used as a plate for
hygiene purposes and its visual impact

The Range of Traditional Andhra Cuisine

Traditionally, Andhra cuisine is eaten on a banana leaf by people sitting on mats

or small raised wooden seats. A little water is sprinkled around the banana leaf,
depicting that food can now be served. Rice is served along with a little ghee.

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Along with the rice a dry curry is served. This meal consists of nearly five types
of dishes. But a typical Andhra meal is characterized by the famous hot pickles,
chutneys, powders etc. Curd is served as a cooling element, that provides a
respite from the hot spices.

¤ The Delicacies

The main food of Andhra Pradesh is Pulihara, or tamarind rice along with green
chillies adding spice to the cuisine. Green vegetables are cooked with various
masalas (spices) that provide different flavors to the dish. Non-vegetarian
dishes are also a part of traditional Andhra cuisine, spicy and hot.

The pickles and chutneys are very popular and are an integral part of Andhra
food. These can last for more than a year. There chutneys are made of almost
every vegetable including Tomatoes and Brinjals. An aromatic green chutney
called 'Gongoora' is a specialty of Andhra cuisine.

The mango pickle called 'Avakkaya' is very popular. The famous south Indian
Tiffin's Idli, Dosa are found in many restaurants, but the 'Pesarattu' is more
popular, having a filling of 'Upma'.

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Wedding Feast

At home and at weddings, feasts are served in a ‘’ Pandhi ‘’ system. A pandhi

consists of as many diners can fit in a line, and it is important to keep up your
panthi, so that you are ready for each item as it comes down the line, and
because the leaves cannot be cleaned up till everyone has got out of the way.

Pandhi System

Once the leaf is sprinkled and wiped clean, the orthodox diners waits patiently
as a dollop of payasam ( just a preview, there’ll be lots more ) is followed by
vadai, a cooling pachadi ( usually yogurt based ), two kinds of dry vegetable, one
koottu or stew like preparation fortified with coconut, a pickle, banana chips,
paruppu, rice and ghee. Only when the first ladle of sambar is pored on the rice
does he / she start eating. He never touches the pappadam ( or indeed any food )
with his left hand. He does not bite his vadai or sweet but breaks off pieces with
his fingers. He drinks from ‘’ upstairs’’, pouring the water into his mouth rather
than touching his lips to the tumbler.

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Want to learn something interesting?!

2. Pickles
3. Chutney Powder
4. Kosambari (Gram Salad)
5. Kosumalli (Salad)
6. Coconut Chutney
7. Vegetable Curry #1
8. Vegetable Curry #2
9. Mixed Rice
10. Pappad
11. Crispies
12. Steamed Rice Cake (kuzhakattai)
13. Rice
14. Dhal
15. Raitha
18. Pakodam #1
19. Sweet Chutney
20. Maida Fry
21. Avial
22. Pakodam #2
23. Sambar
24. Sweet
25. Masala Vada
26. Puranam Poli
27. Vegetable Upma
28. Sour Ginger Thokku
29. Payasam (can also serve in cups)
30. Curds
31. Butter Milk (can also serve in cups)

Compiled by cnu.pne

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