Arts

Delectable Thali Spread

Feast on these traditional Indian meals.

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Thali is the traditional style of serving authentic and ethnic Indian meals. Meals are served in large round platters of brass, steel or silver and katories (small round bowls). There are no courses in a thali; the idea is to share a potpourri of flavors, textures and tastes. Separate bowls hold different foods ranging from the sweet, sour, tangy, crisp, crunchy, smooth and chewy.

 

A typical thali includes chutneys, Koshimbiri or a salad, pickles, papads, lime slices, raita and buttermilk, four vegetables, a dal, rice or khichadi, bread and sweets.

Papad Rolls

Ingredients

6 papads
8 oz. cottage cheese grated
1 small onion finely sliced
1 tablespoon green chilies finely sliced
2 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix all filling ingredients together. Quickly dip papads in water for a second. Place on a napkin and put filling center and roll up papad. Seal edges with wet hands and deep fry until crisp and golden. Serve with onion rings, lime wedges and hot green garlic chutney.

Dilazeez Dhokla

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. each of potatoes, carrots and green peas
1 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tablespoons chick pea flour
2 oz. coriander leaves
1 teaspoon mint leaves
1/2  oz. cashew nuts
1/2  oz. poppy seeds
1/2  teaspoon chili powder
A few drops each of red and green food coloring.
1 teaspoon green chilies
2 oz. grated cheese
4 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste

Steam cook vegetables separately and then mash each to a paste. Roast poppy seeds and mix with ground ginger, chilies, mint and coriander leaves. Mix in salt and chili powder. Divide the mixture into three parts and put one part in each vegetable with a tablespoon each of chick pea flour and oil. Add green color in the pea mixture and red color in the carrot mixture. Spread potato mixture on a non stick baking tray. Top with carrot and then the pea’s mixture. Spread cheese on top; decorate with poppy seeds and broken cashew nuts. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes to a golden color. When done cut into square pieces and serve with green chutney.

Khandvi

 

Ingredients
4 oz. chick pea flour
1/4 liter thin buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 tablespoons, grated coconut
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 green chilies, chopped

Mix together chick pea flour, buttermilk, turmeric powder, oil and salt to a smooth batter. Heat in a pan, stirring continuously until the mixture is fully cooked. Pour butter a clean kitchen platform and spread mixture with the back of the ladle as thinly as possible.  When cool cut into 1-inch strips with a sharp knife. Using oiled fingers roll the strips into neat rolls and place in a serving plate. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry the mustard, sesame seeds, green chilies, and chili powder. Pour over the khandvi and decorate with coriander leaves and coconut.

Undhiyu

Ingredients

1 lbs. mixed vegetables like sweet potatoes, raw bananas, baby potatoes and baby brinjals
4 oz. raw guavas, carrots and tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon garam masala
Pinch of asafetida
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds and groundnuts
2 tablespoons ground coriander leaves and green garlic
2 tablespoons and green garlic
1/2 cup coconut grated.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Green chili and ginger paste.

For Muthia

4 oz. chick pea flour
1 small tea cup fenugreek leaves
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon green chili paste and oil
Salt to taste

Mix all muthia ingredients with enough water to form stiff dough. Form into rolls and steam for half hour. Cut the brinjals and potatoes into fours and cube other vegetables. Heat 4 tablespoons  oil, add cumin seeds and asafetida. Add tomatoes, spices, ginger, chili and garlic paste and cook until dry, Add vegetables and remaining ingredients, except coriander leaves and 1/2 cup coconut. Cook over a slow fire until the vegetables are almost done. Place muthias on top and continue heating until the vegetables are fully cooked. Decorate with remaining coconut and coriander leaves.

Makku Nu Shak

Ingredients

4 tender corn cobs grated finely.
1 medium onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
3 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons grated coconut
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
2 dry red chilies, chopped
1/2  teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sugar, 2 cloves
1 tablespoon dhaniajeera powder
4 tablespoons oil
Salt and chili powder to taste

Heat 3 tablespoons oil and fry garlic and onion until soft. Add the grated corn and fry for 4 minutes over slow fire until raw smell disappears. Add salt, spices, sugar, and tamarind with 1/2 cup water. Cook until gravy thickens. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry mustard, cloves and chilies and pour over the corn. Decorate with coriander and coconut.

Gujarati Curry

Ingredients

1/2 lbs yoghurt
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
Few curry leaves
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 dry red chillies
1 tablespoon dhaniajeera powder
3 tablespoons oil
Salt and chili powder to taste

Mix two cups water, yoghurt and chickpea flour. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves until soft. Add all spices, salt and curd mixture, and cook until the mixture thickens. Fry cumin seeds, red chilies in 1 tablespoon oil and pour over curry. Decorate with coriander leaves.

Panchratani Dal

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. mixed dals, like split Bengal gram, split skinless black gram, split pigeon pea, split red lentil, split skinless green gram
1 tablespoon ginger grated
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
8 oz. tomatoes
2 oz. ghee
Salt and chili powder to taste

Soak dals for 30 minutes and boil with 1.5 cups water to which turmeric powder has been added until soft. Mash to a paste. Heat 2 oz. ghee and add cumin seeds until they pop. Add asafetida and ginger, tomatoes and all the spices and cook until dry. Mix in the dal, bring to a boil and remove from fire, decorate with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Khichadi

Ingredients

1/2 lb. rice
4 oz. split green gram with skin
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 oz. cashew nuts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 oz. ghee
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste

Put rice and dal in pan with 3 1/2 cups water and milk, salt and turmeric powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until rice is tender and dry. Heat 2 oz. ghee, add cumin seeds, cashewnuts and peppercorns. When seeds pop, mix with khichadi and serve.
   
Jowar Roti

Ingredients

1/2 lb. jowar (sorghum) flour
1 oz. chopped green garlic with leaves
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
2 green chilies
Few mint leaves
Salt to taste

Grind all ingredients except flour to a paste, mix with the flour, adding enough water to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into balls, roll out each ball with the help of a little dry flour into a round disc. Roast on a dry grill with a little ghee and serve smeared with white butter.

Bajra Biscuits

Ingredients

1/2 lb. bajra (pearl millet) flour
1 big onion, grated finely
2 tablespoons corriander paste
1 tablespoon green chili paste
Salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients together with enough water to form stiff dough. Divide the dough into balls, roll out each ball into a round disc and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Grill on a dry pan with a little ghee. Serve hot.

Masala Puri

Ingredients

 

1/2 lb. wheat flour
2 oz. refined flour
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies, minced
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhaniajeera powder
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients with enough water to form stiff dough. Divide the dough into small balls, roll out small round discs. Deep fry in piping hot oil until golden brown. Drain and serve.

Koshimbiri

Ingredients

1 medium tomato, cucumber and onion, chopped finely
2 green chillies, chopped finely
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

Buttermilk

Ingredients

1/2 liter buttermilk
Pinch of powdered cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 green chili
1 teaspoon each of chopped curry and coriander leaves
1 teaspoon black salt
Salt to taste

Grind together chill, ginger, coriander and curry leaves. Mix into the buttermilk with salt and cumin seed powder.

Basundi

Ingredients

1/2 liter whole milk
1 tablespoon corn flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons milk
2 oz. mixed nuts, such as almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios, finely sliced
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
4 tablespoons sugar

 
Cook milk, sugar and cardamom on a slow fire. After sugar dissolves add the corn flour mixture and stir until the mixture is reduced to one-fourth its quantity. Add nuts and serve chilled.

Suji Sheera

Ingredients

4 oz. semolina
2 tablespoons sliced almonds and pistachios
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
4 tablespoons ghee
Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 teaspoon hot milk

Heat ghee and fry semolina to a light golden color. Add 1 cup hot water, cardamoms and sugar, and keep stirring over a slow fire until the ghee separates. Add saffron and nuts. Serve hot.

Mung Dal Halwa

 Ingredients

 

1/2  lb. split green gram skinless
4 1/2 oz. sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 oz. each of each of almonds and cashew nuts
1/2 litre whole milk
4 tablespoons ghee
Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon hot milk
 
Grind green gram dal to a coarse powder. Heat ghee and fry the dal to a golden color. Add whole milk and cardamoms and cook on a slow fire until it thickens. Add sugar keep stirring until ghee separates. Decorate with nuts and serve hot.

 

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