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
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 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 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 For Muthia 4 oz. chick pea flour 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 4 tender corn cobs grated finely. 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 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 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 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. 1/2 lb. jowar (sorghum) flour 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 1/2 lb. bajra (pearl millet) flour 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 Koshimbiri 1 medium tomato, cucumber and onion, chopped finely Buttermilk 1/2 liter buttermilk Grind together chill, ginger, coriander and curry leaves. Mix into the buttermilk with salt and cumin seed powder. Basundi 1/2 liter whole milk Suji Sheera 4 oz. semolina 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
1/2 lb. split green gram skinless
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Delectable Thali Spread
