When traveling in most regions of India, you’ll find local restaurants serving thali — a platter offering the choicest dishes specific to that region. But thali is much more than just a part of the country’s dining out culture.
While not representative of how all people eat in India, it’s an integral part of festivals, celebrations, and everyday eating. Let me take you on a journey to discover thali and learn about its significance within the Indian dietary tradition, including some of the regional variants.
The basics of thali
Interestingly, thali is a Hindi word for a plate.
A thali is usually accompanied by small round bowls called katoris, though there are also thalis made with built-in compartments for different dishes, much like a bento box.
As for the food it contains, a thali is a complete meal consisting of 10 or more dishes, depending on which part of India you’re in.
A thali consists of:
- a grain: rice or flatbread made with wheat, millet, etc.
- lentils: dal or sambar
- vegetables: a seasonal preparation
- chutney: a condiment made with fruit, herbs, spices, and even vegetables and fish
- raita: curds usually mixed with some kind of vegetable
- pickles: most commonly made from raw mango, though that varies by region
- papadum: a deep-fried, savory snack made with rice, flour, or lentils
This is followed by buttermilk or sol kadi, a refreshing drink made with coconut milk and kokum fruit, if you’re on the western coast of India.
Regional variations
Thalis come in several varieties depending on the specific location.
A Gujarati thali, which comes from the state of Gujarat in Western India, is one of the most elaborate thalis. It includes several fried snacks, flatbreads, a variety of vegetable preparations cooked in ghee, and sweets.
Thali is also not necessarily only vegetarian.
In the coastal regions of India, for example, you’ll find variations of fish and seafood thali. Kolhapur, a city in the state of Maharashtra in Western India, is famous for its various spicy mutton thali preparations and flavorful broths.
The meal is always very wholesome, even though its complexity and quantity of dishes can vary.
A balanced meal
From a nutritional point of view, Indian thali is a balanced meal providing carbs, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Dairy, which also plays an important role in Indian cuisine, is used in the form of ghee, curds, or buttermilk.
The combination of one grain, one lentil, some vegetables, sour chutney, raita, or pickle, some tadka (tempering), plus using ghee and spices, make the Indian thali wholesome. While the grain and lentil combination is considered to provide complete proteins necessary for survival, good health, and immunity, the presence of all six tastes in Indian meals makes it the most nourishing.
Certain foods have multiple tastes, like amla (Indian gooseberry), which is both sour and salty. Various cooking techniques like steaming, poaching, shallow frying, roasting, grilling, deep-frying, parching, and dry roasting are used in Indian cooking, and most of them are employed when composing a thali.
A delicious tradition
Thali, in its most elaborate form, is a wholesome dish that’s also a feast for your eyes, with its array of colors and bright bowls for each food.
It’s a quintessential eating experience in India, whether as part of a cultural tradition or everyday life.