I dream of thali...

A bountiful plate of joy...

Feb 21, 2025

Zest’s amazing veganised thali, the stuff of dreams. Photo by Nichole Miranda, my awesome partner with a far better phone camera than me..

While we’re still here in Goa, we’ve been exploring the deep joy of thali — which literally means plate or dish — but calling it that is akin to calling Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring “a quite nice bit of music.”

For the uninitiated, a thali is a traditional Indian meal served on a large plate or platter, featuring a variety of small dishes that provide a balanced and complete meal, based on ancient Ayurvedic principles which embody the idea of incorporating six essential tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. They forgot blow-your-head-off spicy, which is often the case with an unsuspecting dish lurking on the edge of the thali. You’ve been warned.

So, you get a mound of rice in the middle of the plate, normally some pickle, then at least four or five different dishes - like dal (lentils), vegetables and curries - served in small metal bowls, some sort of dessert, bread and a papad.

It’s the best way to eat, and I wish every meal came with such variety. Another thing I love is that you can normally flap your hand about, and get a member of the waiting staff to bring you more of any of the dishes you like.

At its heart, a thali is a wholesome and hearty lunch - traditionally the main meal of the day in many Indian households. I tip my hat to the people that can be bothered to make five or six dishes - but I think the greatest hack is to spend a Sunday making about a dozen different dishes, then put them in the fridge/ freezer in portions, ready to defrost to order. Just remember to label them!

The thali’s long history, like so many dishes, has been woven by India’s history, from banana leaf-served meals in the Vedic era, via the variety of foods offered to deities in temples, through the elaborate culinary demands of royalty — the Mughals, Rajputs, and Marathas, to regional and even colonial influences.

Goan thalis featuring meat and fish are very popular, and most veggie thalis involve yogurt/ curd and ghee, so do your best to navigate what you’re being given before you order. Fortunately, Goa has some vegan gems on its restaurant scene, and I have to say that the thali offered by Zest in Agonda was one of the best I’ve ever had…and it was so large, we shared it.

That thali again, from above - from the red dish: beetroot pachadi, palak tofu, vegetable subji and the smoky dal.

It’s no surprise as well that thalis have become associated with special occasions, festivals and celebrations. Here, as an homage to Zest’s incredible vegan thali, I’ve tried to re-create its dishes. It won’t be as good, because you won’t be there, sat bathing in warm sunshine, cooled by a gentle breeze from a fan, and surrounded by palm fronds and sleepy dogs. Bliss.

Still, I hope these recipes take you to a tropical paradise with every bite. We can all dream, right?

Stay normal, people!

RECIPES

Once again, dear reader, I’d like to share a caveat that my ignorance outweighs my knowledge, and these recipes are my interpretation of dishes that have already been re-interpreted to be plant-based. I hope I don’t get any outraged readers suggesting I’ve insulted thousands of years of Indian culinary genius. I just like food, yeah?

Honestly, I can’t get enough of looking at it. Here’s the thali from above, this time showing the bread and papad. Phwoooar. The recipes below represent my efforts to recreate this at home…

Beetroot Pachadi (Kerala-Style Beetroot Yogurt Curry)

This South Indian side dish was great. Made with grated beetroot, (vegan) yogurt, and a tempering of spices, it's slightly sweet, tangy, and mildly spiced.

Ingredients

1 medium-sized beetroot, grated
½ cup your favourite plant-based yogur, whisked
1 green chili, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon salt (or as needed)
½ cup water
¼ cup grated coconut (from a frozen packet is fine)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chili
1 tablespoon water (to blend)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 dried red chili, broken
5-6 curry leaves

Preparation

In a pan, add the grated beetroot, chopped green chili, turmeric powder, salt, and water.
Cook on medium heat until the beetroot gets soft and the water is mostly evaporated.
Blend the grated coconut, cumin seeds, and green chili with a little water to form a smooth paste.
Add the coconut paste to the cooked beetroot and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Once cooled, add the whisked yogurt and stir well. Do not heat after adding yogurt, as it may curdle.
Heat the coconut oil in a small pan.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the dried red chili and curry leaves, sauté for a few seconds.
Pour the tempering over the pachadi and mix gently.

Creamy Vegan Palak Tofu (Spinach & Tofu Curry)

This is a silky, flavourful dish, which is more than the sum of its parts.

Ingredients

3 cups fresh spinach (palak), washed
1 green chili
1 cup hot water
10 cashews (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes)
1 block (200g) extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil, as well as
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tomato, blended or finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
½ cup coconut milk (or almond milk)

Preparation

Boil water in a pot and add the spinach and green chili. Cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
Drain and immediately transfer to ice-cold water to retain the green color.
Blend the blanched spinach, green chili, and soaked cashews into a smooth purée using minimal water. Set aside.
In a frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and lightly pan-fry the tofu cubes with turmeric, garam masala, and salt. Cook until lightly golden. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds until they splutter. Be careful, and take themm off the heat when they do, otherwise they’ll burn, and/or go all over the place
Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
Stir in garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute.
Add the blended or chopped tomato and cook until soft.
Mix in coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt. Cook for a minute.
Pour in the spinach purée and stir well. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and mix until creamy.
Gently fold in the tofu cubes and cook for another 2 minutes.
Garnish with a swirl of coconut milk.

South Indian-Style Vegetable Subji with Soft Potato and Peas

Mildly spiced, aromatic, and coconut-infused, featuring soft potatoes and peas, this is a wonderfully comforting dish.

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 small carrot, diced (optional)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green chili, slit
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon sambar powder (optional, for extra flavour)
½ teaspoon salt (or as needed)
¼ cup grated coconut (fresh or desiccated)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or any neutral oil)
½ cup water
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)

Preparation

Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and green chili. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft.
Stir in the potatoes and carrots (if using), then add turmeric, coriander powder, and sambar powder. Mix well.
Pour in ½ cup water and salt. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the potatoes are almost soft, add the green peas and continue to cook until everything is tender.
Stir in the grated coconut and mix well, cooking for another minute.
Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves, if you’re not afraid of them.

South Indian-Style Smoky Dal with Whole Lentils

This combines whole lentils with aromatic spices and a unique smoky flavour, achieved through a traditional technique - burning charcoal! Warning - start the night before, stuff needs soaking…

Ingredients

1 cup whole black gram lentils (urad dal), soaked overnight
¼ cup kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, grated
2 green chilies, slit
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil or ghee
4 cups water
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

For the Smoking Technique (Dhungar Method):

A small piece of charcoal
½ teaspoon oil

Preparation

Drain and rinse the soaked lentils and kidney beans.
In a pressure cooker - if you have one - add the lentils, kidney beans, 4 cups of water, and a pinch of salt.
Cook under pressure for about 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. If using a normal stovetop pot, simmer until tender, which may take about 1-1.5 hours.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
Stir in minced garlic, grated ginger, and slit green chilies. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften and the oil starts to separate.
Mix in the coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the cooked lentils and beans to the mixture.
Stir well to combine and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
Adjust the consistency by adding water if needed.
Stir in garam masala and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.
Next, in a small pan, heat ghee or oil over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add dried red chilies and sliced garlic. Sauté until the garlic turns golden brown.
Add a pinch of asafoetida and immediately pour this tempering over the simmering dal. Stir well.

Infuse the Smoky Flavour (Dhungar Method):

Place a small steel bowl or piece of foil on top of the dal, ensuring it doesn't sink.
Using tongs, heat the piece of charcoal over an open flame (or a kitchen blow torch/ lighter) until it becomes red hot.
Carefully place the hot charcoal into the steel bowl or foil.
Drizzle ½ teaspoon of oil over the charcoal. It will begin to emit smoke immediately.
Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid to trap the smoke. Let it infuse for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the charcoal and the bowl/foil from the dal.
Garnish the smoky dal with fresh coriander leaves.

Kerala-Style Cumin Rice with Greens

This combines the nutty flavour of Matta rice with the warmth of cumin seeds and the nutrition of fresh greens. If you can’t find matta rice, opt for basmati and cook it as per your normal method…

Ingredients

1 cup organic Kerala Matta rice
6 cups water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
2-3 green cardamom pods
1-inch cinnamon stick
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 dried red chili, broken into pieces
1 sprig curry leaves
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh greens (such as spinach, amaranth leaves, or kale)
Salt to taste

Preparation

Rinse the Matta rice under running water until the water runs clear.
In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and a pinch of salt.
Cook the rice on medium heat until it's tender, which may take about 30-40 minutes.
Once cooked, drain any excess water and set the rice aside.
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat.
Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick. Sauté until the spices release their aroma, about 1 minute.
Add the cooked Matta rice to the pan and gently mix to coat the rice with the spiced oil.
Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the broken dried red chili and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the chopped greens and a pinch of salt. Cook until the greens are wilted and tender, about 5 minutes.
Gently fold the sautéed greens into the spiced rice.
Add salt to taste.

BONUS RECIPES

You can’t serve a thali without a good chutney/ pickle or two, in my humble opinion. And while you’re welcome to tuck into your favourite stuff in a jar (link to Geeta’s mango pickle), here’s a couple of recipes.

Bengali-style Smoky Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ cup, grated or chopped Jaggery (or brown coconut sugar)
2-3 dry red chillies, broken into halves
1 teaspoon Panch Phoron (Bengali five-spice mix)
1 tablespoon Mustard Oil
¼ cup raisins (I normally leave these out, actually)
10-12 pitted and chopped Dates
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of asafoetida (Hing)
2 teaspoons roasted spice powder: (dry roast 2 teaspoons each of cumin seeds and fennel seeds, 2 bay leaves, and 1 red chili; ground to a powder)

Preparation:

Heat the mustard oil in a pan over medium heat until it reaches its smoking point, then reduce the heat to low.
Add the panch phoron and broken red chilies. Sauté until they begin to splutter and release their aroma. Try not to breather over the pan, it gets a bit chokey…
Add the chopped tomatoes and salt to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and form a thick paste.
Stir in the chopped dates and raisins. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the dried fruits to soften and integrate into the mixture.
Add the grated jaggery/sugar and mix well. Cook until the jaggery/sugar melts and blends into the chutney, adjusting the sweetness to your preference.
Pour in the ginger juice and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
Sprinkle the roasted spice powder over the chutney and mix thoroughly.
Add a pinch of asafoetida and stir well.
Remove the pan from heat and let the chutney cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, transfer the chutney to a sterilized jar.

Recipe inspired by Experiences of a Gastronomad.

South Indian mild green chutney

Ingredients

1 cup fresh grated coconut (or from a bag of frozen coconut)
½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 to 2 green chilies, chopped (adjust to taste)
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
Water as needed
1 tablespoon oil (coconut oil preferred)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
1 dried red chili, broken into pieces
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
8 to 10 curry leaves

Preparation

In a blender, combine the grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, sugar (if using), and salt.
Add a little water and blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust the water to achieve your desired thickness.
Taste and adjust salt or spice as needed. Transfer the chutney to a serving bowl.
Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add the urad dal and sauté until it turns golden brown.
Add the broken red chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until the curry leaves become crisp.
Pour this tempering over the prepared chutney and mix well.

Phew. That’s all folks!

Notes:

Of course, these don’t all have to be served together. You can always make one, and try it solo — with rice, of course!