#Eatsomethingnice - article 3 - Banana Leaf Rice

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image credit: Veronica Ng

If there is one food that encourages you to eat with your hands, this is it. It also looks like the ancient Indians knew a thing or two about being practical as Banana leaves are not only environmental friendly but also contain large amounts of polyphenol, the same powerful antioxidant found in green tea that is really good for you.

Banana leaf rice originates from south India, and is part of a traditional feast called a Sadya. 

When prepared as Sadya, which means banquet, banana leaf rice is eaten to celebrate special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, and marriages. Traditionally, diners would sit on the floor to eat Sadya, but this is now less common. On the banana leaf, each food item is placed in a specific location. The traditional banana leaf rice is a vegetarian dish.  Only the curry sauce was served but nowadays you can always request your curry with chicken, mutton, fish, crab or other side dishes.

Most shops offer an option of white rice or unpolished rice. The latter is ideal for those who are health-conscious or people who need to watch their sugar intake. The white rice is drenched (banjir) in curry sauces and accompanied with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat, chutneys, pickles, fried bitter gourd and papadum (a thin crispy lentil cracker).

Additional dishes such as fried chicken, squid, a variety of fresh fish, fish cutlets and also mock meat or vegetarian chicken can be ordered. To top it all off, a sourish soup called rasam is served, alongside an option of plain yogurt.

Rasam is derived from the Tamil ‘irasam’ and the Sanskrit “rasa” both of which mean ‘essence’ or ‘extract’. It contains tomatoes, pepper, coriander, red chili, cumin, tamarind, salt and curry leaves. Loyal fans of Banana leaf rice know that unlike traditional wet curries, “varuval” means spicy dry fried while “perattal” is a rich thick sauce.

Connoisseurs say the flavor and aroma of the food stimulates the tongue and elevates the taste when eaten by hand.  Also, as you eat the hot, steamy rice off the banana leaf, the heat serves as a catalyst for a slight chemical reaction with the enzymes in the leaf that aids in digestion.

Don’t forget to wash it all down with a refreshing lassi, a yogurt drink made either in a salty or sweet version and popularly flavored with mango.

After a bountiful repast, fold the banana leaf inwards towards you to signify that the meal was good. Folding the leaf away from you signifies that the meal was not satisfying.