The call of the thali

Thali, a word that conjures up an image of a colourful platter filled to its capacity with some beautiful dishes, showcasing the best of the chosen cuisine. The combination of different kinds of flavours makes it an all-round dish, which is popular with patrons because of the variety it offers. But while the authenticity in terms of ingredients and preparations is still spot on, some restaurants are trying to play around with the format of the thali.

Bend The Rules

Executive chef Hussain Shahzad of O Pedro tells us that the concept of thali is deeply-rooted in the state of Goa. “Also, while the concept of susegad (relaxed, laid-back) is associated with Goa, it’s not true for a city like Mumbai, where people are looking to grab a quick lunch in between work. So we thought of playing around with a cool format of having your starch, proteins and veggies,” he explains. For their thalis, they do a foogath (cooking veggies in minimal oil and seasoning), using seasonal vegetables. “Doing that allows us to use what is available locally, as well as gives us the freedom to be creative,” adds Hussain.

While the foogath changes as per the vegetables available in the season, even the sides can be changed according to the patron’s preference. “A few of our cooks here are Goan, so till a couple of days ago they were using fresh turmeric to make a pickle, the kind they would have back at home. We added that to the thali,” he says.

While authentic is still the way for Madras Diaries, co-owner Neeti Goel tells us that they have recently introduced a Rice thali as well. “It has different versions of rice including bisi bele bhaath, curd rice, lemon rice, tamarind rice, steamed rice and a portion of rasam, papad and pickle,” she says. A treat for rice lovers for sure!

Share, By All Means

A thali, traditionally, is not meant to be shared. In fact, most restaurants insist on it. However, at Mini Punjab, chef and co-owner Harmeet Singh insists that their Dara Singh thali be shared among at least five or six people! With more than 40 items on the thali, including makki di roti from Punjab, lamb yogurt curry from Kashmir, four types of beverages, three chaat options among a whole lot of other dishes, it’s no surprise that the restaurant takes an hour to prepare it. “It’s a showcase of the best of cuisine from the North,” Harmeet says, adding that the thali is the best way for them to present a variety of dishes to the customer.

Rare Finds

With Mumbai being a melting pot for different cultures, authentic Rajasthani, Gujarati or South Indian meals are not that difficult to come by. However, it is the slightly rare cuisines, that are catching people’s eye, whether it’s a Sindhi thali or an Andhra thali, the latter being a much-in-demand dish at Juhu’s Gonguura. Owner Srividya tells us, “The Good Old Andhra thali has three types of vegetables, dal, rice, roti, rasam, sambhar, curd, papad, pickle, chilly, chutneys and a sweet,” she says, adding that at least 70 per cent of her clientele are people who are not from Andhra Pradesh.