This Deepavali, try a vada that is not fried and an idli that is not steamed

We speak to R Sivakumar from Padayal, a Coimbatore-based restaurant and cooking academy, to understand if his no oil-no boil style of cooking can be festival-friendly

Published - October 31, 2024 09:29 am IST

No oil-no boil vazhaipoo vada

No oil-no boil vazhaipoo vada

The thought of Deepavali brings to mind images of plump gulab jamuns, crunchy murukku and crispy golden vadais.

Now imagine a festive meal prepared without oil, boiling, roasting, or frying. It may seem improbable, but R Sivakumar, fondly known as Padayal Siva, has developed over 2,500 such recipes. His creations are inventive variations of popular treats like the ladoo, bonda, vadai, and idli.

“Around festivals, people indulge in snacks and rich food as part of the celebration. There’s nothing wrong in it, but it’s also possible to eat healthy, especially for children who love sweets and snacks. Our recipes are colourful and kid-friendly, so even children can enjoy these options,” shares Sivakumar.

Siva’s method, the Padayal way, is based on four alternative practices, beginning with soaking rather than boiling. “Take raw banana, for instance; it’s not edible raw and has astringent qualities that offer health benefits but are lost when boiled. Instead, we soak it in lemon water, making it ready to eat,” he explains.

A padayal platter

A padayal platter

Instead of using oil, Siva employs methods like mixing, binding, and grinding. “Many natural ingredients are sources of oil. For instance, if I add coconut, it naturally releases oil into the dish. For binding, we use nut powders to hold everything together. By mixing the ingredients by hand, the natural oils release,” Sivakumar elaborates.

Siva runs a restaurant in Coimbatore featuring a no-oil, no-boil menu. It opened back in 2023. He also shares his recipes through Padayal Academy which started in 2013 and has catered to 25+ weddings, feasts and functions. His teaching shows that these recipes require no special or complicated equipment, such as a dehydrator or air fryer; they can be made with typical kitchen tools, staple ingredients, and local produce. Moreover, they’re often quicker to prepare than traditionally cooked recipes.

Padayal idli

Padayal idli | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Continuing the work of ‘Nel Jayaraman’, Siva has also adopted the use of heritage rice varieties in his recipes. “Rice typically requires boiling. Instead, we process and flatten it into poha. This allows us to make idlis that don’t require cooking. The poha-based batter is poured onto the idli cloth to set. The result isn’t mushy; the texture is like a regular idli. It is just not hot,” he explains.

FOR METROPLUS COIMBATORE, 25/01/2023:  
R Sivakumar, who started Padayal, also trains people in cooking with raw ingredients
PHOTO: Siva Saravanan S / The Hindu.

FOR METROPLUS COIMBATORE, 25/01/2023: R Sivakumar, who started Padayal, also trains people in cooking with raw ingredients PHOTO: Siva Saravanan S / The Hindu. | Photo Credit: Siva SaravananS

Alongside Indian dishes, Siva’s restaurant and course feature diverse offerings like noodles, cutlets, and fried rice. “In perfecting this cooking method, I’ve learned to use different varieties of greens and even flowers in my recipes. I used to prepare Satvik food, but Nammalvar and Nel Jayaraman inspired me to adopt this approach as a lifestyle,” Siva says.

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