Savya Rasa the newly opened restaurant in Ardee City has won our hearts. Serving the authentic cuisine of Kerala, I decided to give it a try for Onam celebrations.
About Onam
Onam is an annual harvest celebration festival of Kerala. It is a major festival for Malayali people living both in and outside of Kerala. The festival is celebrated with Pookkalams (flower carpets), Pulikali (tiger dance), Vallamkali (Boat race) and Onam Sadya (feast). I decided to feast on Onam with the Sadya at Savya Rasa.
The Sadya (feast) is an indispensable part of Onam. Every Keralite attempts to either make one or attend one .The Onasadya reflects the spirit of the season and is traditionally made with seasonal vegetables such as yam, cucumber, ash gourd and so on. The feast is generally served on plantain leaves. The importance of the feast in the Kerala’s Onam celebration culture is captured in the famous Malayalam proverb “Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam” which means “One must have the Onam lunch even by selling one’s property, if need be.”
Onam Sadya at Savya Rasa
At Savya Rasa, they served the Sadya on a banana leaf. It consisted of 9 courses and included over 2 dozen dishes.
1. Chips (especially Banana chips)
2. Sharkaraveratti (Fried pieces of banana coated with jaggery)
3. Pappadam
4. Various vegetable Thoran, Mezhukkupuratti, Kaalan, Olan and Avial
5. Sambhar, Dal served along with a small quantity of ghee
6. Erisheri, Molosyam, Rasam
7. Puliseri (also referred to as Velutha curry)
8. Kichadi (not to be confused with Khichdi)
9. Moru (buttermilk or curd mixed with water)
10. Pickles both sweet and sour, and coconut chutney.
The feast ends with a series of dessert called Payasam (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar, jaggery, and other traditional Indian savories) eaten either straight or mixed with ripe small plantain. The curry served with rice, usually the ‘Kerala Matta’ parboiled rice preferred in Kerala.
If you enjoy coconut as a base, this meal would be an absolute treat for you. Each dish is cooked with so much of love and attention to detail that each bite was enjoyable. There were so many textures and flavors on my banana leaf plate that I didn’t know what to savor first. Each bite was such a beautiful symphony of flavors.
Other dishes tried at Savya Rasa
I tried a lot of dishes at Savya Rasa and I can easily say that whatever you order, it’ll be good. I am going to write about the dishes, which stole my heart
- Podi Idli Fry– Gunpowder marinated steamed idli fried to absolute crispness. They just melted away in your mouth. You can’t miss this dish if you come to Savya Rasa.
- Vasantha Neer– Tender coconut served on top of honey. I absolutely loved how two natural ingredients are used together to make one perfect drink. Natural coconut water sometimes may not be sweet, so by mixing honey in it and serving it chilled, the bartender ensures that everyone enjoys the sweetness of tender coconut water. This drink works very well with the food served as the food is a little on spicy side.
- Appam with Kuttu Curry– If you love coconut based curries, this dish would be an absolute treat. The appams were cooked to an absolute perfection. Truly a match made in heaven!
- Karupathi Halwa– I have never tried this type of halwa before, so it was an absolute delight. Its a South Indian delicacy and is made from palm jaggery.
- Elaneer Pudding– Another South Indian delicacy which I was trying for the first time. Tender coconut set with china grass. Each bite was eating coconut water. The slimy texture of it was so beautiful. I highly recommend this dish.
