North Indian Bhog Thali
A typical Bhog Thali
Tada.... the next one!
This is the next step towards my Mini-Thali Blog series. The North Indian Thali or the Bhog Thali as I've named it, is a mixture of dishes, quite usually prepared in households and enjoyed every day. The name Bhog comes from the fact that this meal is more often prepared for special occasions or Hindu prayer events in India.
Well, that's just the etymology. Any person would any day enjoy this super delicious meal. And disclaimer : if you’re one of those persons who is fighting against the war for fried food, this thali can be quite overwhelming. But I mean… what are cheat days for!
The Bhog Thali generally consists of fried flat breads Puris
with 1 vegetable dish, 1 chickpeas / lentils dish, salad, a simple beverage and
dessert. There are particularly many variants depending on regions and
religious beliefs. I put together this thali with dishes that require
relatively lesser time to cook. I prominently remember these dishes were most
common in a religious ‘Pooja’ (prayer) functions or ‘Langar’ (free food
distribution, mainly by Sikhs).
Religious or not, event or not…as minimal and simple as this
thali might seem, it definitely defies the assumption and is delectably yum. I made this
thali just on a random day when we were craving for Puris (I know :-P).
This thali has –
1. Puri (Bread)
Which is an Indian flat bread made from wheat flour and deep fried in oil. Sundays are synonymous with Puris in most households in India. As a child, I could eat Puris forever!
2. Aloo Rasedaar (Main Dish 1)
is a simple and juicy (aka rasedaar) potato and tomato curry, quite characteristic of the North Indian food scene. With very less ingredients used, this dish derives its mouth watering taste from juicy tomatoes and spices. It is a very commonly made gravy in households too!
3. Sooji Halwa (Main Dish 2)
is a semolina based pudding-like dish prepared all across India under various names and slight variations. Cooked with ample of ghee (clarified butter), flavored with cardamom and topped with nuts, this is a super delicious dessert. Also a common, quickly-made household dish, sooji ka halwa is often enjoyed with hot puris in parts of North India for breakfast (and not just as a dessert).
4. Mango Lassi (Beverage)
the most global and famous yogurt drink of India. I made a fruit version with mangoes and cardamom, which is also very popular overall. If you haven't tries mango lassi, please do! I bet you'll want more and more.
5. Cucumber Chili Salad
6. Achaar (Pickle)
7. Mithaai (Dessert)
is an Indian confection which translates to 'sweetness'. The one in the thali was store-bought and made from milk and sugar.
Delicious !
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