9 regional thalis of India that go beyond Gujarati cuisine

When you think of the word ‘thali’, you might, by default, be thinking of Gujarati cuisine. This cuisine from the West of India has popularised a style of eating many courses in one plate, in small portions that promise frequent refills. But something that is often overlooked is that each region in India offers a hyper local thali experience that flaunts the area’s greens, meats, vegetables to breads and sweet dishes in the same wholesome way. We scoured the country for ten thali options for you to choose from.

Goan thali: Vinayak Family Restaurant, Goa

One of the most popular thali spots to get a full Goan meal experience is Vinayak Family Restaurant. The state may be experiencing a surge in vegan cafes, but those serving classic fish curry and heaps of rice will never go out of style. They have options for vegetarians and non-vegetarians which predominantly serve a rice-salad-curry routine, alongside beans and greens stir-fry, fish balchao, tisreo or Goan clams, mackerel recheado—depending on the catch of the day.

Address: House No 278, Socol Waddo Road, Socol Vaddo, Assagao, Goa. Tel: 09049380518

Malwa thali: Charoli Foods, Mumbai

Run by chef Anuradha Joshi Medhora, her brand Charoli focuses on the region of Malwa, which has influences pouring in from the kitchens of the Mughals, Rajputs and Marathas. They serve a thali which features dishes like an Indian gooseberry achaar, goli kebabs made of mutton, makkai and palak rogani, a creamy saag to be eaten with parathas, mutton keema, ghee-doused rice and a halwa made of chaana dal instead of usual dry fruit variety.

DM @charoli_foods for orders

Punjabi thali: Welcomhotel Amritsar

When it comes to Indian cuisine, Punjabi food may be the most popular cuisine, but the best of their food can only be found in local homes who hide some best-kept secrets. At Welcomhotel Amritsar, you can find handpicked dishes belonging to the vibrant Amritsari cuisine with dishes such as aloo vadiyan, which is loaded with bite-sized vadiyans that are sun-dried and added to a potato dish, doodh wala kukkad, a creamy-milk chicken preparation, and bebe di kadhi that will remind you of eating in a Punjabi home.

Address: Raja Sansi, Ajnala Rd, Amritsar. Tel: 0183-2814444

Bikaneri thali: Narendra Bhawan, Bikaner

This one’s tad bit different than a typical Rajasthani thali. Plat de Bikaner is a traditional thali that goes back to 1972 when the local ruler Maharaja Ganga Singhji of Bikaner entertained his French delegates. Even today, the same menu is served inside the dining room of the local Laxmi Niwas Palace by Narendra Bhawan Bikaner. The thali serves specialties like paneer cooked with local mathania chillies, chana kadhi, ker and kaju ki sabji, laal maas among other dishes, and is presented in a seven-course format.

Address: Samvit Shikshan Sansthan, Gandhi Colony, Samta Nagar, Bikaner. Tel: 07827151151

Kerala thali: That Thalessery Girl, Mumbai

Unless you have Malayali friends or you are on a holiday in Kerala, access to the real Kerala cuisine is not that simple. That’s where Marina Balakrishnan comes into picture. Her representation of Malabari food features non-common dishes like puttu, a steamed cylindrical ground rice preparation to be eaten along with kadala curry made of Bengal gram; and pazham puzhungiyatu or are sweetened plantains steamed and coated in ghee and sugar. And then some common ones like parotta and vegetable korma too.

DM @thatthalasserygirl for orders

Rajasthani thali: Neemrana Fort Palace, Neemrana

After the Gujarati thali, this one is the easiest to find. Rajasthani thali at Neemrana Fort-Palace in the Neemrana town serves traditional dishes from the state like churma, baati, panchmel dal, mutton sweta. The highlight of this thali is an emphasis on lesser-known Rajasthani ingredients like mangori (sun-dried lentil dumplings) through a papad-mangori ki subji and pittor and gattas (chickpea dumplings) through their curries and gravies.

Address: 15th Century, Delhi-Jaipur Highway 122nd Milestone, Delhi-Jaipur Expy, Neemrana. Tel: 0149-4672800

Kumaoni thali: JW Marriott, Mussoorie

So little is spoken about Kumaoni cuisine, a cuisine from Uttarakhand that is as fresh as it is delicious. At the Trout House Grill & Bar at JW Marriott Mussoorie, they serve a thali featuring rare dishes like bhooda: dal fritters crusted with sesame seeds, bhunni: mountain goat braised with onions and ginger, bhat ki churkani: Himalayan soybean curry among others. The restaurant also serves other region-inspired variations of this thali such as a Garhwali-themed one and one titled Devbhoomi.

Address: Village - Siya, Kempty Fall Rd, Charleville, Mussoorie. Tel: 0135-2635700

Bengali thali: Chef Ananya Banerjee, Mumbai

Through her social media handle, you can order chef Ananya Banerjee’s Bengali meal in Mumbai. A cookbook author turned chef, in her Bengali “thala experience”, you’ll find maach-bhaat, of course, but a lot of vegetarian food too. These include begun bhaja (eggplant fritters), cholar dal, vegetarian chop, a steamed yoghurt dish known as bhapa doi, while non-vegetarians will get to dry doi maach, kosha mangsho, fish fry. Banerjee needs a three day prior notice and has a special meal every weekend which features other Bengali cuisines like Kolkata-Mughlai, Tangra Chinese, Park Street Anglo-Indian and Raj-era food.

DM @chefananyabanerjee for orders

Assamese thali: Gitika's Pakghor, Mumbai

Home chef Gitika Saika single-handedly brought the lesser-known cuisine of Assam to the fore with her pop-ups in the last few years. Her Assamese meal sampler is still one of the best food experiences in the country. She needs a pre-order and serves up an authentic feast of Assamese rice and a dessert made out of it! There are also unique ingredients of Assam like fiddlehead ferns and snails that she skilfully uses to make traditional food. Besides, you’ll find usual suspects like pumpkin chicken, sesame pork and seasonal fish curry.

DM @gitikaspakghor for orders

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