Sukhiyan: The Sweet, Golden Nugget
While many festival platters feature fried snacks, Sukhiyan remains a delightfully undercover treat. Imagine a sweet, fragrant filling of cooked green gram (moong dal), jaggery, and coconut, scented with cardamom. This sweet ball is then dipped in a simple
rice flour batter and deep-fried to a perfect golden crisp. The result is a snack with a crunchy exterior that gives way to a soft, meltingly sweet centre. It’s a popular tea-time snack during festival seasons but is often overlooked for a place on the main Sadya leaf. Adding it as a pre-meal appetiser or a unique sweet alongside the Payasam can be a delightful surprise.
Boli: The Travancore Treasure
In the southern parts of Kerala, especially in the Travancore region, no Sadya is truly complete without Boli served alongside Pal Payasam. Boli is a thin, sweet flatbread made from refined flour, lentils (chana dal), jaggery, cardamom, and a generous amount of ghee. It resembles a soft, delicate, sweet chapati. Unlike the main dishes of the Sadya, Boli is a dedicated sweet accompaniment. Tearing off a piece of warm, fragrant Boli and scooping up creamy payasam with it is a culinary experience in itself. While ubiquitous in Trivandrum, it's a relative rarity in Sadyas across other parts of Kerala, making it a truly special and authentic addition to your menu.
Kumbilappam (or Chakkayappam): The Steamed Wonder
Wrapped and steamed in a vayana leaf (a type of bay leaf), Kumbilappam is a rustic delicacy that sings with flavour. The name ‘Kumbil’ refers to its conical shape. It’s a sweet dumpling made from rice flour, ripe jackfruit pulp, and jaggery, with bits of coconut adding texture. The steaming process inside the fragrant leaf infuses the dumpling with a unique, subtle aroma that is hard to replicate. While jackfruit-based dishes are common, this specific preparation is a traditional evening snack that beautifully captures the essence of using seasonal produce. It serves as an excellent, naturally sweetened dessert or snack that connects the meal to Kerala's agrarian roots.
Thiruvathira Puzhukku: The Hearty Root Vegetable Stew
Though traditionally associated with the Thiruvathira festival, this dish shares the harvest spirit of Onam. Puzhukku is a thick, hearty stew made from a medley of tubers like yam, colocasia, and Chinese potato, cooked with raw banana and legumes. The vegetables are slow-cooked in a coarsely ground coconut mixture, making it a rustic and earthy preparation. It’s different from other Sadya dishes in its texture and focus on root vegetables. Serving a small portion of Thiruvathira Puzhukku offers a glimpse into another facet of Kerala's festival cooking, providing a comforting, nutritious, and flavourful counterpoint to the more common curries.
Munthiri Kothu: The Crunchy Sweet Treat
Munthiri Kothu, which translates to 'a bunch of grapes', is named for how the small, fried balls are often stuck together when served. This traditional sweet from the Kanyakumari and Trivandrum regions is made from roasted green gram powder, jaggery, and coconut, which is rolled into small balls. These are then dipped in a rice flour batter and deep-fried until crisp. Unlike other sweets that are soft or syrupy, Munthiri Kothu offers a satisfying crunch and a nutty, earthy sweetness from the roasted dal. It stores well, making it a perfect snack to prepare in advance and offer to guests throughout the Onam festivities.
