How to put together an Indian Thali

Indian Thali is a concept of eating well balanced diet from the region you are located right now. Ideally, it should have some carbs, some salad, some pickle, protein, greens, vegetables and some digestive enzymes.

The science behind the Indian thali is also the basics of Indian food. A thali literally means a plate. And It’s your custom plate that comes with small bowls for portion control and a well-balanced meal.

To customize a thali , you need to focus on 3 things:

1. Using all the 5 elements of nutrition (Carbs, fats, protein, Vitamin, Minerals) 2. Regional ingredients 3. Your body type (what food suits you)

Once you have this then some key details on how it works:

- Start with a salad with produce rich in water such as cucumber, fresh greens, onions, cabbage to cleanse your palate. This also helps with frequent urge to drink water - Use a pickle to increase the saliva and enzymes - Arrange it in order of how you like but its usually arranged in the order of what to eat next. - Always choose seasonal and local ingredients to enhance the nutritional value of your meal - End the meal with some wholesome sugar like yogurt for a lasting appetite. It controls the hunger and keeps you content.

Recipe basics for Thali:

1. Carbs- Pick a bread of your choice. I will be using Indian flatbread (chapati/ Roti). You can use whole grain tortillas too. 2. Greens Bautee’ - Greens (chopped carefully), 2-3 cloves of garlic, sea salt, hot chili peppers or green chilies, and ghee/coconut oil . - To make this, heat a pan with oil on medium flame . Add chili peppers first, then greens and cover with lid. Now hand crush the garlic in a mortar pestle and add to the top of the greens. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes with lid covered. Turn off and take the lid off so it doesn’t lose the bright green color. 3. Protein– Beans(canned any kind , garbanzo, red kidney, pinto) or for non veg use eggs or chicken . To make the gravy for this dish we need Something sour+ something nutty, + some heat . Pick from below what you may have in your pantry - Onions, tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric , salt, Cumin seeds, coriander powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, Ginger garlic paste and ready made any kind of spice blend . (My fav blends for Indian food – Chole masala, Pav bhaji masala) - Nutty- (Cashews/ peanut butter/ dry roasted coconut / tahini) , Sour( Lemon juice/ Tamarind paste/ Tomatoes) , Heat( Thai or Indian green chilies, / Red chili powder/ black pepper/ hot chili paste/ Garam masala) Technique: - First heat the pan on medium high. Add ghee/ butter/ oil. Then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds to temper in oil. Once they crackle then add whole diced onion. Sauté until brown. Add chopped tomato, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, spice blend and let it cook covered for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are softened. - Then add 1 tbsp of nut paste such as cashew paste or unsweetened peanut butter or dry roasted coconut paste or tahini . If you don’t want any of this then grind the onion tomato saute from step 1 into a fine paste. - Add the cooked beans to it , salt it, add water. - Flavor this dish with seasonal herbs, use heirloom tomatoes, garlic scapes for better taste.

4. Yellow moong lentils ¼ c: - Enjoy your seasonal produce with Indian touch. Moong lentils is lean protein and also its easy on digestion and is best for dinner. - Cook on stove top with water for 20 mts. Or for best results Pressure cook it for 8 mts in Instant pot. - Now use the ghee, temper with cumin and mustard seeds. Add 2-3 chopped shallots, 1-2 tsp of fresh dill, coriander leaves, and lemon basil , garlic scapes, crushed garlic. Add the cooked daal , salt it. Top it with fresh herbs, black pepper before serving. 5. Any fresh seasonal Vegetable on hand (Squash, Zucchini) : We will use our base as Onions and fresh herbs to flavor it up like we did for moong lentils above. We will just use a spice blend and some heat as well.

6. Indian Salad - Use fresh salad greens of your choice, add red onions, cucumbers, bits of cuke pickle, or pickled veggies and its juice, lemon juice, virgin oil (Use the regional oil) . Optional ( add chaat masala for enhancing the digestion. It contains black salt and other digestive ingredients. It does have a funny stench to it for those who are not used to it).

7. Sweet Raita : Yogurt as base with salt, water. Then we will add some fresh seasonal fruits, chaat masala, mint, seasonal herb and touch of honey or brown sugar. Temper with browned butter.

8. Cooked rice and Plain yogurt: Best for the heat and ending a meal properly.

9. Fats:

Ideally this would be an omega rich fat source such as Ghee (Clarified Organic Butter) or Raw virgin Coconut oil. Other regional oils are Mustard oil, Peanut oil, Sunflower oil, Safflower oil and use what you have on hand to cook.

Notes: If you don’t have something , replace it with what you would prefer and something close to its texture. Customize the plate to your needs and taste. Use dairy free option if needed. The important thing to remember is to enjoy your meal. These are guidelines and never stick with just that. Experiment and explore!

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