This Kerala food festival is a fusion of traditional sadhya and hearty classics

A Kerala sadhya is usually thought of as a sprawling vegetarian feast, eaten off a banana leaf, with a symphony of curries, pickles, papadams, and payasam. But Annachi’s Kitchen has decided to give this beloved tradition a twist with its Kerala food festival—blending the comforting staples of the sadhya with hearty non-vegetarian classics that Kerala households serve on their tables. The result is a wholesome meal, a spread that keeps surprising you course after course.

Relish Kerala delicacies with this food festival

Right off the bat, the first thing that was served was the chips of three varieties—banana, jackfruit, and sharkara varatti (jaggery-coated chips). These are the little rituals of a sadhya, setting the mood even before the gravies arrive.

From there, the table turned into a colourful stage. The matta ari choru (or the Kerala red rice) arrived with its nutty depth, the perfect base to soak up gravies. The ulli theeyal, made with shallots, was hearty. However, we were not prepared for the sweetness it held.

The kadala curry, earthy and robust with black chickpeas, gave us comfort in every spoon.

The seafood made its entrance with Meen moilee (fish moilee), where turmeric sang louder than anything else. However, the tender, fresh fish and the mellow coconut milk in the moilee compensated for it. The Prawns roast, on the other hand, was bold and was prepared in true Kerala style. The spices clung to each bite—rich, and satisfying.

Chicken lovers, meanwhile, had plenty to cheer about. The Malabar kozhi roast came dark, spiced, and full-bodied, reminding us of the coast’s fiery cooking traditions. The gentler and creamier Kozhi mappas, which followed, was no less indulgent.

For a softer interlude, there was Pachakari ishtew paired with idiyappam.The delicate lace-like strings of rice flour soaked up the coconut stew effortlessly. The Vazhapoo vadai with fritters made from banana blossom was another revelation. It was crispy and tasty, and a nice crunchy bite to have in between the meal.

Just as we thought we couldn’t eat more, ghee rice with beef cutlet appeared on the table. The ghee rice glistened, while the cutlet brought a meaty punch.

We ended the meal with the comfort of a payasam. A gulp of the jaggery-rich Ada pradhaman payasam, and we were ready for the siesta.

Meal for one: INR 500. On till October 10. Available for lunch and dinner. At Annachi’s Kitchen, Injambakkam.