Thali

2021-08-17T07:55:27Z

31.16.17.246: Deleted unnecessary word

{{short description|Indian-style meal made up of various dishes which are served on a platter}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2019}}
{{multiple image
| perrow = 2
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| title = Thali
| image1 = Vegetarian thali at an Indian restaurant in Dubai.jpg
| caption1 = [[South Indian cuisine|South Indian style]] vegetarian ''bhojanam'' or ''thali'' or ''unavu'' served in a restaurant.
| image2 = Vegetarian Curry.jpeg
| caption2 = [[North Indian cuisine|North Indian style]] vegetarian ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image3 = Rajasthanthali.jpg
| caption3 = [[Rajasthani cuisine|Rajasthani style]] vegetarian ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image4 = Gujarati thali.jpg
| caption4 = [[Gujarati cuisine|Gujarati style]] vegetarian ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image5 = Assamese Thali.jpg
| caption5 = [[Assamese cuisine|Assamese style]] ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image6 = Vegetarian Andhra Meal.jpg
| caption6 = [[Telugu cuisine|Andhra style]] vegetarian ''bhojanam'' served in a restaurant.
| image7 = Another Vegetarian Meal.jpg
| caption7 = [[Cuisine of Karnataka|Karnataka style]] vegetarian ''bhojanam'' served in a restaurant.
| image8 = Bengali Fish meal.jpg
| caption8 = [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali style]] ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image9 = Dalbath.jpg
| caption9 = [[Dal bhat|Nepalese style]] ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image10 = Pakistanithali1.jpg
| caption10 = [[Pakistani cuisine|Pakistani style]] non-vegetarian thali made and served at home in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia.
| image11 = '8' A Thali, a traditional style of serving meal in India.jpg
| caption11 = [[Punjabi cuisine|Punjabi style]] vegetarian ''thali'' served in a restaurant.
| image12 = Bishnupriya Manipuri Veg Recipe.jpg
| caption12 = [[Manipuri cuisine|Manipuri style]] ''thali'' (''chakluk'')
| image13 = Indian vegetarian thali,.jpg
| caption13 = Indian vegetarian platter
| image14 = Divali meal.JPG
| caption14 = [[Trinidad and Tobago cuisine|Trinidad and Tobago style]] vegetarian ''thali''
}}
'''Thali''' (meaning "plate") or '''Bhojanam''' (meaning "full meal") is a round [[Platter (dishware)|platter]] used to serve food in [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various dishes which are served on a platter.

[[Puja thali|Thali]] is also used in south Asia for [[Puja thali|ceremonial purposes]].

== History ==
As noted by [[INTACH]], the earliest evidence of use of continuity in cooking and food habits of India can be established by the existence of [[tandoor]] (cooking oven), thali, [[Lota (vessel)|lota]]s and [[chakla]]-belan for making [[chapati]]s found in excavations at [[Indus Valley Civilization]] site of [[Kalibangan]] (3500 BCE – 2500 BCE).<ref name=INTACH1>[http://chapter.intach.org/pdf/haryana-16.pdf "INTACH Haryana newsletter"], [[INTACH]], page 34.</ref>

In the early days, thalis were only reserved for royalty. Emperors feasted on the bountiful meal that was offered to them by the villagers and servants. Thalis or Bhojanams were known as the “rich mans” food and only the elite and rich would feast. {{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

== Thali/Bhojanam meal ==
''Thali'' refers to the metal plate that a thali meal may be served on, while ''Bhojanam'' refers to full meals. Thali is popular in Punjab,<ref>{{cite book | last1=Mayhew | first1=B. | last2=Bindloss | first2=J. | last3=Armington | first3=S. | title=Nepal. Ediz. Inglese | publisher=Lonely Planet | series=Country Guides | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-74059-699-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtSIz1vwg4YC&pg=PA104 | language=tr | access-date=5 March 2015 | page=104}}</ref> Uttar Pradesh and other states in North India. The idea behind a thali is to offer all the 6 different flavours of sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy on one single plate (technically the last two are actually forms of [[chemesthesis]] rather than true flavours).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-07|title=What Is Thali? An Inside Look at This Indian Dietary Tradition|url=https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/indian-thali|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Healthline|language=en}}</ref> According to Indian food custom, a proper meal should be a perfect balance of all these six flavours. Restaurants typically offer a choice of vegetarian or meat-based thalis. Vegetarian bhojanams are very typical and commonplace in [[Tamil Nadu]] canteens (and [[South India]], [[Sri Lanka]], the [[Maldives]], [[Mauritius]], [[Fiji]], the [[Caribbean]] and Southeast Asia except [[Vietnam]] and the [[Philippines]] in general), and are a popular lunch choice.

Dishes served in a thali vary from region to region in the Indian subcontinent and are usually served in small bowls, called ''katori'' in India. These katoris are placed along the edge of the round tray, the actual thali; sometimes a steel tray with multiple compartments is used. Typical dishes include rice, [[dal]], vegetables, [[roti]], [[papad]], [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] (yogurt), small amounts of [[chutney]] or [[South Asian pickles|pickle]], and a sweet dish to top it off.<ref>[http://spicythali.blogspot.com/2011/06/decording-indian-cuisine.html "Decording Indian Cuisine"], in [http://spicythali.blogspot.com ''Spicy Thali''] blog, 26 June 2011. (Entry. Retrieved 3 June 2012)</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The world on a plate |publisher=Vancouver Sun |page=G1 |author=Andrew Marshall| date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> Rice or roti is the usual main dish that occupies the central portion of the thali, while side dishes like vegetable curries and other aforementioned delicacies are lined circularly along the round thali. Depending on the restaurant or the region, the thali consists of delicacies native to that region. In general, a thali begins with different types of breads such as [[Puri (food)|puri]]s or chapatis ([[roti]]s) and different vegetarian specialities ([[Curry|curries]]). However, in South India and Southeast Asia, rice is the only staple served with bhojanams. Thalis or Bhojanams are sometimes referred to by the regional characteristic of the dishes they contain. For example, one may encounter [[Andhra cuisine|Andhra]] bhojanam, [[Nepalese cuisine|Nepalese]] thali, [[Rajasthani cuisine|Rajasthani]] thali, [[Gujarati cuisine|Gujarati]] thali, [[Maharashtrian cuisine|Maharashtrian]] thali, [[Tamil cuisine|Tamil]] unavu, [[Singaporean cuisine|Singaporean]] unavu, [[Thai cuisine|Thai]] unavu and [[Cambodian cuisine|Cambodian]] unavu. In many parts of [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Nepal]], the bread and the rice portions are not served together in the thali. Typically, the bread is offered first with rice being served afterwards, often in a separate bowl or dish.

Today, restaurants around the world offer thali dishes. The platters are made of stainless steel and some have intricate designs along the edges.

=== Unlimited thali ===
Unlimited thalis are those that come with limitless refills.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZRLGZNZEoEC&pg=PA365|title=India Guide Gujarat|last=Desai|first=Anjali H.|date=2007|publisher=India Guide Publications|isbn=9780978951702|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWinCgAAQBAJ&q=%22unlimited+thali%22&pg=PT2783|title=Lonely Planet India|last1=Planet|first1=Lonely|last2=Singh|first2=Sarina|last3=Benanav|first3=Michael|last4=Blasi|first4=Abigail|last5=Clammer|first5=Paul|last6=Elliott|first6=Mark|last7=Harding|first7=Paul|last8=Mahapatra|first8=Anirban|last9=Noble|first9=John|date=1 September 2015|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=9781743609750|language=en}}</ref> [[Kunal Vijaykar]] considers an unlimited thali as quintessentially Indian, not just for variety or limitlessness, but because it is true to Indian tradition.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/kunal-vijayakar-picks-the-best-places-to-savour-an-unlimited-thali-in-mumbai/story-EydiKkZ5gIlp5D3yyy54VL.html|title=Kunal Vijayakar picks the best places to savour an unlimited thali in Mumbai|date=21 April 2017|access-date=9 July 2017}}</ref>

==Affordability==
{{See also|Food security in India}}
The [[Economic Survey of India 2020]] has a section called ''Thalinomics'' which shows an increase in affordability of a vegetable 'thali' by 29% and by non-vegetarian by 18% during 2006-07 to 2019-20.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/economic-survey-thalinomics-and-the-common-man/articleshow/73798465.cms|title=Economic Survey 2020: Veg thali affordability improves by 29%; non-veg by 18% during 2006-07 to 2019-20|date=31 January 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-01-31}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Banchan]]
* [[Combination plate]]
* [[Dim sum]]
* [[Ethiopian cuisine]]
* [[Indian cuisine]]
* [[Korean table d'hôte]]
* [[Meze]]
* [[Platter (dinner)]]
* [[Restaurant]]
* [[Sadya]]
* [[Tapas]]
* [[Zakuski]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Further reading==
{{commons category|Thali}}
* {{Citation |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/supplementary/sunday-chronicle/scientific-indian-thali-930 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920022153/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/supplementary/sunday-chronicle/scientific-indian-thali-930 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 September 2010 |title=The scientific Indian thali |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |date=2 May 2010 |first=Naini |last=Setalvad }}.

[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Pakistani cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Malaysian cuisine]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan cuisine]]
[[Category:Maldivian cuisine]]
[[Category:Afghan cuisine]]
[[Category:Serving and dining]]
[[Category:Gujarati cuisine]]
[[Category:Rajasthani cuisine]]
[[Category:Singaporean cuisine]]
[[Category:Thai cuisine]]
[[Category:Burmese cuisine]]
[[Category:Bhutanese cuisine]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Cambodian cuisine]]
[[Category:Lao cuisine]]
[[Category:Indonesian cuisine]]
[[Category:Bruneian cuisine]]
[[Category:Indo-Caribbean cuisine]]
[[Category:Fijian cuisine]]
[[Category:Mauritian cuisine]]

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Thali