The kaleidoscope of Indian veg thali

In very austere terms, India is known across the world for the growing IT sector, excessive population, multiple cultures, Bollywood and its beautiful women. But if you ask any foreigner about Chicken curry or Paranthas, the possibility of them having tried them out is extremely high. Yes, that’s right, Indian food is one of the most savoured in the world. What makes it unique is the insane variety of not only dishes but cuisines that you would find in the country. Being an intensely diverse country works in the favour of the variety of food items and preparations that one might find here.

Indians in general are food loving folks and a majority of their activities are directed around some sort of dining. It’s the age old method of communal rendezvous and a brotherhood building exercise in India. Be it the Muslims breaking their fast together in Iftar or Hindu families coming together during festivals to dine together; Indian culture’s cornerstone has and will always be food.

This indubitable affinity of Indians has paved way for the ever increasing Indian Food Restaurants not only in the country but across the globe. You cannot walk few yards in an Indian city without encountering one of these eateries in varied capacity and formats. These restaurants offer a striking variety of Indian delicacies for your every craving, be it just casual snacks or an exhaustive array of pulses and vegetables. And how can we forget the famous Indian bread in countless formats like naan, roti, paranthas, kulcha, poori etc. etc. Then follow our all time favourite breakfast and high tea items, dosa, idli, upma, uttapam and medu vada. The list is mouth watering and everlasting.

One of the most famous types of India food restaurant is a Veg thali joint. These are speciality restaurants that serve an assortment of Indian cuisine decorated in a round steel plate usually that has small steel bowls neatly placed. The contents of the Veg Thalivary depending on the region it originates from. So where a Rajsthani or Gujrati thali would have poori, kadhi, rice, dal, vegetables, papad, curd, shrikhand, aamras, a variety of chutney and pickles; a south Indian Veg thali would consist of rice, aviyal, sambhar, rassam, currey, payasam and papad. These restaurants are usually “all you can eat” restaurants which make sure they are value for the money you spend.

Most of Indian food restaurants offer vegetarian food but some also cater to non vegetarian Indian cuisine primarily from Punjab, North east, South India, Bengal and Mughlai. Punjabi delicacies are perhaps one of the most famous Indian food types. Be it chola bhatura, samosa or butter chicken; we all can’t resist these lip-smacking dishes. But the Indian non vegetarian food scene is ruled by Mughlai dishes. How can we say no to those kebabs, Biryani and Kashmiri dum aloo?  If you are not hungry yet, you would soon be, after listening of dahi-maach rasgulla and mishthi dahi. These bengali delicacies will surprise your taste buds.

One thing is for sure, be it North Indian or South Indian dishes; the food in this country is prepared with passion and served with a generous dollop of love!