States & Their Food Palettes: Thalis Of India
Royal Thalis from States of India. India as a country is rich in culture, cuisines, and customs. Each region in the country is unique in its own way. As you move from one region to the other in India, the dishes and spices change rapidly. Apart from all the differences, it’s the food that brings us all together. A ‘Thali’ is the epitome of ‘cultural exploration’ on a plate. A complete meal in itself! Here are Royal Thalis from the States of India.
JAMMU & KASHMIR
This royal looking and exquisitely delectable thali is a meat lovers’ thali. Kashmiris love meat and many popular dishes are meat based such as rogan josh, Gushtaba, and yakhni. Also, they have different pieces of bread for every season. Wazwan is a most popular multi-course meal of Kashmiri. Kashmiri food is made richer with the use of dried fruits in almost every dish; even the rice!
HIMACHALI DHAM THALI – HIMACHAL PRADESH
The Himachali dham thali is an assortment of traditional herbs and spices and is incredibly delicious. ‘Dham’ is the traditional festive food of Himachal Pradesh. The food starts from steamed and fried colocasia leaves, boiled raw mango mashed with jaggery and rock salt to lamb in yogurt gravy. It ends with a dessert of sweet caramelized rice, liberally mixed with raisins and dry fruits.
HARYANA
The Haryanvi thali is really simple and it is really tasty! There are large helpings of homemade ghee, curd, and butter. It offers a rustic and earthy experience. The specialties are; kachri ki sabzi, Hara dhania cholia, mithey chawal, alsi ki pinni, malpuas, khichdi and kachi lassi.
KUMAONI THALI – UTTARAKHAND
Uttarakhand greets you with different aromas coming from the forests and the roadside eateries and all these together make their way to their Thali. The simple and seasonal Kumaoni thali is a regional culinary gem. It had unique delicacies such as – Bhang Ki Chutney, Aalu Ka Jhol, Kafuli, Phaanu, Baadi, Chainsu, etc. and of course their Ghar ka parantha!
PUNJAB
Punjabis are the most enthusiastic people you will find in India. There are no basic Punjabi essentials. Everything is a must! Statutory Warning: their food contains a lot of ghee (clarified butter) and that’s where the taste comes from. In its grandeur, it is similar to the Kashmiri Thali. Ranging from Aloo Kulcha, Punjabi Chole, Paneer Tikka, Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Aloo Paratha, Dal Makhani, Kadi Chaval, Rajma Chaval, Makke Di Roti, Sarso Da Sagh no matter if that takes all the space in your system, a glass of Sweet Lassi is a must. That’s how a Punjabi meal is done.
UTTAR PRADESH
The thali from Uttar Pradesh is again robust, filled with dal, veggie dishes, dahi and even sweets. The Awadhi and Mughlai cuisines of Uttar Pradesh bear similarities to those of Kashmir and Punjab due to the common influence of Mughals. Different cities in the state have their own specialties. Lucknow is famous for its Royal Biryanis, Kebabs and a number of sweets. Kanpur for its simple food, Kakori kebabs, Agra for its petha, Mathura for its Pedas, Banaras for its Paan, Rampur for its non-veg and Pasanda dishes.
RAJASTHAN
Rajasthani thalis personify the true dining experience and the origin of the concept. It revamps the whole traditional atmosphere by adding a tinge of royalty to it. They have rotis, pooris, kachauris, and parathas made of wheat flour. But their highlights are the rotis made of Bajra, Makka, and Jowar. They make use of Besan extensively. Daal baati churma is a speciality here. Gatte ki sabzi is another famous personality on the Rajasthani thali. The Rajasthani thali is the quintessential Indian thali.