Wondering how to make the dishes a tad bit special this year? Here’s some help. (Source: Pixabay) Wondering how to make the dishes a tad bit special this year? Here’s some help. (Source: Pixabay)
Celebrated with much fanfare, Vishu or the Malayalam new year is observed every year by Malayalis in Kerala, Karnataka, other parts of the country and across the world. Following the solar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, Vishu is observed on the first day of the month called Medam. Not just the traditions, the food is also a special attraction on Vishu. People feast on sadya— a feast consisting of various traditional vegetarian dishes.
It is usually served on a banana leaf in Kerala. It is also believed by many that the new year would be better if they view auspicious things on this day. Thus, Malayali women prepare a setting called Vishukkani — with items such as rice, golden lemon, golden cucumber, coconut cut open, jack fruit, kanmashi kajal and betel leaves. Wondering how to make the dishes a tad bit special this year? Check out these dishes from Kerala that you can relish on the day.
Katta
Vishu Katta is a part of the festival in Thrissur. Looking to start your day the traditional way? The dish is usually served for breakfast along with tender cashew nut curry or jaggery syrup.
Watch the video here.
Kanji
Looking for something more to spruce up your breakfast? Vishu Kanji/Rice Porridge with coconut is prepared on the festival. It is prepared with parboiled rice, white beans and finely scraped coconut.
Watch the video here.
Inchi Curry
Ginger Curry or Inji/Inchi curry is a side dish used mainly in sadya, the traditional feast of Kerala.
Watch the video here.
Koottu Curry
Prepared with banana, Bengal gram and chena (yam), Koottu Curry is a mixture of black chickpeas or chana dal and combination of vegetables like ash gourd/winter melon, raw plantain/kaya, elephant yam with ground coconut and spices.
Watch the video here.
Rice Payasam
Most of us love to relish kheer, but there is another such dessert down south prepared on Vishu. Rice Payasam is served after the meal to share the sweetness of the festival with friends and family. It is prepared with coconut milk, rice and jaggery.
Watch the video here.
So, what are you preparing for your loved ones this Vishu? Tell us in the comments below.
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Among the most important festivals in the state of Kerala, the Malayalam New Year or Vishu falls on the first day of the month of Medam as per the Malayalam Calendar. The festival generally falls somewhere in the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar. This year it will be celebrated on April 14. After the state’s harvest festival, Onam, Vishu is a day celebrated with zest in Kerala. Extravagant feast, new clothes and prayers are a part of the core celebrations in the state.
Vishu signifies that one is required to begin right which would then lead to the whole year being right. So what we perceive on the very 1st day of the New Year should be auspicious and pure and must symbolize good fortune and abundance. Hence on the day of Malayalam New Year, there is a custom among the people to open their eyes to Vishukkani, that which is worshipped and that which is the 1st thing to be seen on the occasion of Vishu. The preparations for the Malayalam New Year or Vishu start well in advance. The houses are cleaned and often painted or whitewashed to make it pure. The pooja rooms were the ritualistic presentations would be made are cleaned with the picture Gods adorned with the Chandan and Kumkum.
The prayer room is decorated with a lit lamp, golden shower flowers (yellow flowers), fruits, vegetables, betel leaves, an assortment of rice, mirror, money and gold arranged in a metal plate with the idol of Lord Krishna. People pray to Lord Krishna on the New Year’s Day and follow the traditional custom of witnessing Lord Krishna’s idol as first thing in the morning.
After the Vishukani custom, people go on to take a bath in the sacred water and offer prayers at the nearby temples. The people in Kerala put on their outfit called Kodi Vastram for celebrating Pooram Vishu. Kodi Vastram is new clothes that are specially worn during any auspicious occasion. Dancing and singing forms a part of the Malayalam New Year Celebration. Sadya or feast is prepared by women on this special occasion. The special dishes include mangoes, jackfruits, pumpkins and gourds. A dish called Moru Kutan made of Payasam (Kheer), yoghurt, Veppampoorasam (a bitter neem preparation) and Mampazhapachadi (a sour soup of mango) is prepared on the special occasion of the Malayalam New Year.
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It is time for welcoming Vishu Phalam 2018. The natives of Kerala celebrate Vishu festival to usher the Malayalam New Year. Quite naturally, New Year celebrations in Keralan households involve exchanging gifts, decorating the house, and feasting big! Sadhya, the festive feast, is a melange of 14 to 24 dishes, made from freshly-harvested rice, coconut milk, jaggery, fruits, veggies, and condiments, especially prepared for an elaborate meal. So, whether you’re travelling to Kerala or are keen on eating your Sadhya in your current city, here are 5 restaurants across 5 cities in India that are sure to not disappoint.Mahabelly is all set to serve a traditional Vishu Sadhya (vegetarian) for lunch and dinner. This popular South Delhi spot has a tradition of treating the Delhi NCR-based residents to a true Malayali Sadhya meal. How tempting is that?MA-A05, Ground Floor, Restaurant Block, DLF Place Mall, Saket, New DelhiPower up for the Kerala New Year festival by savouring a generous Sadhya meal from Udaya Lunch Home in Mumbai. Hit among the local Malayali community, at Udaya you are sure to leave with a happy heart.Narayan Gajanan Acharya Marg, Chembur, MumbaiThis no-frills restaurant much deserves a place on this list for serving tasty Sadhya meal at good price. For the unacquainted, they make the best 'Ilayada' in Kochi.Mahatma Gandhi Road, Pallimukku, Ernakulam , KeralaThis restaurant is a Sadhya feast powerhouse. Its hearty vegetarian dishes, some rare, some common, are sure to please all the vegetarians.276, First Floor, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, BangaloreA satisfying meal of Sva-haar along with more than 21 recipes will not cost you much. On the Sadhya menu, you'll find all the robust, Malayali offerings, all solid crowd-pleasers.Opposite Sai Petrol Pump, Next to Mathura , JM Road, Pune
