Maya Kaimal

A specialty of Kerala, this simple, spiced-up stir-fry makes for a quick, hearty dinner.

South Indian rice is parboiled during processing, which creates a more nutritious but harder grain that needs to be boiled like pasta for 40 minutes. The grains are puffy and separate, and they absorb the curries beautifully. Indian parboiled rice can be ordered from iShopIndian.com; but if this type is not available, American-style converted rice or regular long-grain white rice are both good substitutes. (North Indian basmati rice would not be served at a Sadhya.) This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Often the dhal served at a Sadhya is very plain, but I happen to like interesting dhals, like this recipe. Here I use small orange lentils (called "red" in stores) because they cook down into a creamy texture. I enrich it with coconut milk, and finish it with cilantro, lemon, and whole toasted seeds. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This aromatic mixture of split peas and vegetables is a staple in the South Indian diet. It always accompanies favorite snacks such as dosas (lentil crêpes) and idlis (lentil dumplings). A traditional Sadhya feast wouldn't be complete without this flavorful source of protein. Asafetida (a garlicky resin from the sap of a fennel-like plant; it's often used in lentil dishes) and fenugreek provide its pleasantly pungent aroma. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This coconut curry adds a tangy note to a South Indian menu. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This is the South Indian equivalent of cake: essential at every wedding, birthday, and holiday. Indians like to serve it warm and soupy. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

South Indians don't use ghee in cooking the way North Indians do, much preferring their coconut oil. But they always have a spoonful with their parboiled rice and dhal. The first step of a Sadhya is mixing ghee, rice, dhal, crushed pappadam, and a little salt. This mixture is eaten by hand and forms the first bites of the Sadhya. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This tart and spicy condiment is always served with a Sadhya feast. It is especially nice mixed with plain rice and yogurt as a palate cleanser. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

I grew up on green beansthoren,and while I'll never tire of its crunchy deliciousness, I think adding corn makes it even better. And even though people don't often associate stir-fries with Indian cooking, this dish is a favorite in Kerala. It's a combination of diced vegetables and coconut, but the key is moistening the coconut so it can soak up the ground spices first. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Erisherisare thick curries traditionally made with yams or pumpkin, toasted coconut, and whole kidney beans. They are hearty and earthy, with a tropical twist of coconut and curry leaves. My variation, made with sweet potatoes, crosses over beautifully to a fall or winter menu; I've even served it for Thanksgiving. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

In North India these legume wafers are calledpapad在火焰烤,但在南方they are deep-fried until they form lots of air bubbles and become light and puffy. They are sold in many flavors, but plain is preferred in Kerala. Pappadams are always part of a Sadhya: You crush one up and mix it together with rice, dhal, and ghee. The pappadam helps to bind all the ingredients together so you can form balls when eating with your hand. Store-bought wafers are used almost exclusively by Indian cooks because the traditional recipes are labor-intensive and require days of drying in the hot sun. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Pachadis are lightly cooked South Indian salads, often involving yogurt. This was my grandmother's recipe, and it remains a feature of my core repertoire because it's so simple and unusual at the same time. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

This quintessential Kerala vegetable curry marries many of the best ingredients of the region: coconut, curry leaves, green chiles, and a host of tropical vegetables. All the vegetables are cut into batons and poached in a spiced yogurt-coconut sauce. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.