The Indian Thali | India

This was our first (and, to date, our best) meal in India. The vegetable thali we had at Rajdhani in Mumbai sums up all of India for me so far. It was exquisite and alarming.

Upon walking in, we were sat, and within seconds (I mean seconds) we had waiters clapping and dishes arriving at our places at a punishing pace. The gentle owner described very graciously how to eat Indian food.

A thali is a selection of different regional dishes, often served in small bowls on a round tray usually made of steel. Dishes include rice, dhal, vegetables, chapati, papad, curd (yoghurt), small amounts of chutney or pickle, and a sweet dish to top it off.

The flavors and tastes in this one meal will make everything else I eat moving forward “less than.” In our lunch, there were spices followed by sweetness, breads upon breads upon breads, one more delicious than the next, and the desserts – Jesus, the desserts!

Get here. Eat. Be happy.