What is the position of different dishes on a banana leaf in a south indian vegetarian meal ?

Question

There is a position based on the "dryness" of the dish and the frequency of use during a meal. There are positions for appalam, vadai, thuvaran, kootu, avial, pachadi. payasam, pulyodarai... I have heard a thumb rule that u put the driest on the left of the eater and serve the more "Liquidy" dishes rightwards. Please tell me the positions and sequence of serving the dishes.

Answer 1

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Answer 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieBRVtU2n...

A formal South Indian meal is divided into three courses of rice. Before stainless steel became widespread, banana leaves were the plate of choice, and if you travel in India, you'll still see this very convenient, very natural form of disposable dinnerware. With purity of service being so important, these one-use plates, bowls and cups were standard. It also helps that the plants are incredibly abundant in the south. Kerala is named, quite literally, after the banana trees that cover this state.

Although it seems casual, there are specific dictates in India to serving food on a banana leaf, especially for celebratory feasts or religious offerings. From alternating dry vegetables with gravies to the exact corner for placing a sweet palate teaser, the order of up to 20 different foods follows a circular pattern that incorporates health, religion and regional traditions. Udupi diners, in particular, take particular care in the placement of their food.

A ladleful of the sambar will appear at the top, left of your plate. To the right goes the vegetable of the day, such as drumstick, cabbage, potato, or caulifower. Once the rice comes, you can mix in as much of the sambar as you want.

Large rounds of crisp pappadam will be offered, too. You can crush them into little bits to sprinkle over your rice, or you can just break off pieces occasionally to dip into the sambar. Or you can just eat them all before your rice even arrives.

Each element of the menu has its special place on the leaf, and its positioning seems to follow a complex architectural blueprint.  It begins with a small smidgen of payasam, or kheer, usually made with rice, which is put on the right top corner of the lower half of the leaf and stays there a scant few seconds before it is gathered up by hungry guests. An equal helping of dal keeps it transient company; ready to be mixed in with the hot rice when it comes.

The top right side corner of the top half of the leaf becomes home to a dab of thair pachadi (raita) most often made with shredded cucumber and coriander leaves, maybe a small piece of chilli thrown in for spice. Atleast 2 vegetables combined with coconut shreds is a standard fare. Another favourite is the popular avial (a curd based stew composed of over ten to twelve vegetables).

Condiments like pickle and salt dot the left corner of the top half of the leaf joined quickly by a sweet salad and its savoury counterpart, both lentil-based. The left corner is also where the vadai, or fried lentil dumpling, and the fried appalam (large papad) are served, along with the solid sweet, such as laddu or mysorepak. On some rare occasions, jangri (the bright orange flower-like South Indian version of the jalebi) may be part of the dessert selection.

The main actor in this culinary drama, rice is heaped, steaming and white, on the centre of the banana leaf, with a small puddle of hot ghee dripped into its middle. The dal is mixed in, rapidly followed by the tamarind-water rich sambhar, studded with onions, potatoes, drumsticks or carrots. The next round could be with morkuzhambu (the southern kadhi) made traditionally from yoghurt, coconut and a few watery vegetables like cucumber or pumpkin. More rice is eaten with the liquid rasam, and diners have to slurp very fast to avoid losing it to the inexorable flow down the midrib of the leaf.

Very good article:  pgs 6-7

http://www.kitchenwindow.com/H_News0303/...

Answer 3

Hello

Left To Right side of the Banana Leaf dishes are served as follows.

1.Payasam

2.Pachadi

3.Thuvaran

4.Kootu

5.Avaial

6.Appalam

7.Vadai

8.Puliyodarai

9.Banana chips

Method of eating.

1.Rice with Sambar

2.Rice with Rasam

3.Rice with Curd

Finished with Payasam( Palpayasam, Prathaman)

I think you are from Tamil Nau/Kerala or Palkad.

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