Sadya () is a meal of Kerala origin and of importance to all Malayalis, consisting of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes usually served on a banana leaf in Kerala as lunch. Sadya means banquet in Malayalam. Sadya is typically served as a traditional feast for Onam, the state festival of Kerala and Vishu. Overview A typical Sadya can have about 24–28 dishes served as a single course. In cases where it is a much larger one it can have over 64 or more items, such as the Sadya for Aranmula Boatrace (Valla Sadya). During a traditional Sadya celebration, people are seated cross-legged on mats. Food is eaten with the right hand, without cutlery. The fingers are cupped to form a ladle. The main dish is plain boiled rice, served along with other curries, Koottaan (കൂട്ടാന്‍) which include curries like parippu, sambar, rasam, and others like , , , , , , , , mango pickle, injipuli, mezhukkupuratti, , as well as papadam, plantain chips, , banana, plain curd and buttermilk. The buttermilk is typically served near the end of the meal. The traditional dessert called payasam served at the end of the meal is of many kinds and usually three or more are served. Some of the varieties are Paal Ada prathaman, Ada pradhaman, Parippu prathaman, Chakkaprathaman, Gothampu payasam, Paal Payasam etc. The different 'Koottan' are made with different vegetables and have different flavours. The variety of curries is to symbolize prosperity and well being. The dishes are served in different spots on the banana leaf. For example, the pickles are served on the top left corner and the banana on the bottom left corner, which helps the waiters to easily identify and decide on offering additional servings. The most common ingredients in all the dishes are vegetables, coconut and coconut oil as they are abundant in Kerala. Coconut milk is used in some dishes and coconut oil is used for frying. There are variations in the menu depending on the place and religion. Some communities, especially those in the northern part of Kerala, include non-vegetarian dishes in the sadya. Although the custom is to use traditional and seasonal vegetables indigenous to Kerala or Southwest Coast of India, it has become common practice to include vegetables such as carrots, pineapples and beans in the dishes. Tradition has it that onion and garlic are not typically used in the sadya.