Vishu is the Hindu New Year celebrated in Kerala, India. In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as Tamil Puthandu or Tamil New Year. It signifies the sun’s transition to the Meda Rasi.
Along with South India, this day is celebrated as New Year in many states of India like Assam, West Bengal, North East states like Manipur and Tripura, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab, UP, UK, Himachal, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Vishu Sadya means a hearty lunch served on a banana leaf with number of items both sweet and savory. A soul satisfying meal which we look forward to every single year.
I have compiled a few Vishu Sadya recipes that you can try at home or will help you plan your menu for this auspicious day.
But first, let us take a look at how exactly Vishu is celebrated and what are the items required for the pooja at home. I have included some of the photos of the festival celebrated at our home.
Key Items required for Vishu
- Coconut, flowers and fruits.
- Banana
- Pulses or Dals and Rice. (to be placed in a plate)
- Madras Cucumber or Vellirikai is one of the key ingredients to be kept on display.
- Vegetables like Lemons, Karela or Bitter Gourd, Cucumbers, Raw Bananas, Padval or Snake Gourd, Yellow Pumpkin, Ash Gourd, Jackfruit (both ripe and raw), Mango (ripe and raw) etc.
- Everything is a mix of sweet, salty, sour and bitter and the prime colours are yellow, orange and green.
All these items are placed the previous night (13th) by the eldest member of the house and then the rest of the family members are able to seek darshan the next morning. (Muhurtham time). After seeking the Lord’s blessings members await the lavish spread (Vishu Sadya) that is being cooked by the ladies in the kitchen.
Men help by scraping the coconut for the gravies and thorans or by chopping the veggies. My father, who was an excellent cook himself, helped my mother by cutting the Jackruit which is the most trickiest and messiest one of all the vegetables and fruits.
Even if it is just the two of us home, I leave no stone unturned to prepare a full fledged meal. The Sadya spread is a mix of both cuisine, Palakkad + Thanjavur specials (MIL) so I will keep a Parappu Usili along with a Thoran, a Kootu along with Avial and so on.
It is important to respect and remember the elders of the family, who are, unfortunately no more with us. It is their blessings which keep us going.
List of Vishu Sadya Recipes
I have tried to list the vishu sadya recipes course wise so that it is easy for you to choose and plan accordingly.
Click on the links for the detailed recipe. Please do share the post with your family and friends and help them celebrate this day too.
Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu
Drumstick Sambar (Murungakkai Sambar) - Moringa pods
Dry Vegetables - Thorans and Poriyals
Potato Podimas - Mashed Potatoes
Idichakka Thoran (Tender Jackfruit)
Achinga Payar Thoran (Long beans)
Gravy or Kootu Recipes
Mambazha Pulissery - Ripe Mango Curry
Mathanga Erissery - Pumpkin and Red Cow Peas Curry
Pudalangai Kootu - Snake Gourd Lentil Curry
Pachadi (Both Tamarind and Curd Based)
Zucchini Cucumber Thayir Pachadi
Pickles and Condiments
Instant Amla Pickle - Nellikai Oorugai
Narthangai Pickle (Citron Pickle)
Desserts
Kerala Pazham Pradhaman (Nendran Banana Payasam)
Some other side dishes served for the Vishu Sadya are Banana Chips (3 cut chips, sweet and salty), Jackfruit Chips and Papadam.
End the meal with Curd Rice and / or Buttermilk.
Also, don't forget to taken an hour long nap after this hearty meal and keep your dinner light with some fruits or steamed vegetables.
I had created this post in the year April 2018, a year after I started blogging. I have revised the post with fresh links to new recipes that I have cooked and shared over the years on the blog.
Wishing all my readers a very Happy New Year. May this year bring you good health, peace and prosperity. Eat well, stay healthy.
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Vidya Narayan