Punjabi Mini-Thali
I have decided to embark on a new kitchen challenge and you are looking at my first step.
INDIAN FOOD THALI.
The word ‘Thali’ translates to a round plate (usually steel) on which food is served and is undoubtedly the cornerstone to the Indian Dining Experience.
A thali is quintessentially an assortment of various dishes served in small bowls in one large plate.
This traditional meal follows the Indian food custom of balancing six flavours for optimum health. So, a thali contains a bit of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, spicy and astringent elements. Typically, it is constituted of a bread and/or rice, soup, salad, vegetable curries, pickles and dessert. Each region and state in India has a characteristic thali consisting of native or local delicacies and eating habits.
Thali is a popular lunch /dinner choice in India. There are mini-thalis with 4-5 dishes and royal-thalis with as much as 50 dishes to feast on. Well, they say it is not a thali if you do not feel overwhelmed and intimidated by it. It is true!
It is however, also true that preparing all the number of dishes is no cakewalk and definitely requires time and a lot of effort. With my 9-5 schedule, it is all the trickier, even on weekends or holiday. It can be quite a lot of work, you know.
Here is the idea, I decided to try few mini-thalis with 4-5 dishes at first and eventually work my way up to bigger thalis in future. Thali is another form of a course-meal and perfect for a family lunch or guests at home.
As much as it is important to keep regional flavours intact with regional ingredients, that is a limitation too in my case. Nevertheless, I try to get the best out of what I get here and it is totally worth it. The first step is a Punjabi Mini-Thali.
PUNJABI MINI-THALI
Punjabi (region of Punjab in India) cuisine is known for its extensive vegetarian varieties and bread. Most dishes are rich and buttery and the use of a tandoor-oven is quite extensive (think Punjabi Dhaba). Dhabas are typical highway and village restaurants offering mostly Punjabi cuisine and have a unique taste. Dhaba is a food culture that has taken over entire India and now it is almost very common to see people sitting on coir cots or rustic village restaurant sets, enjoying the food. It is my most favourite type of Indian cuisine.
This thali has –
1. Missi Roti (Bread)
Which is an Indian flat bread made from a mixture of wheat and gram flour, cooked on a ‘tandoor’ oven or a pan at home, as in my case.
Which is a healthy and creamy spinach curry, very characteristic of Punjabi food culture. In villages, it is still cooked with freshly plucked mustard greens and spinach. Butter or ‘Makhan’ as they say, is the magic in the dish.
Is a basic household dish and popular in dhabas. It is a flavourful vegetable curry with potato-cauliflower and green peas. The combination of these vegetables is just lovely.
4. Strawberry Phirni (Dessert)
is a traditional milk and rice dessert from Punjab. I added a bit of twist with fresh strawberries but it is usually prepared with milk, rice, lots of nuts and of course, sugar.
5. Cucumber Salad
Well, this…everyone knows!
This combination of dishes is a great menu plan too (without the thali). If you are looking for some cooking inspiration, you have it right here!
So…until next time (hopefully soon) , until another thali! Happy Eating!
This one was reallyyy goood !! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
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