An Intro to the Famous Vegetarian Thali

The rich sauces and meats of North India are foreign to Gujarat, though many hotel restaurants do have classic Mughlai cuisine on the menu. But when in Gujarat, eat like the locals do and tuck into their vegetarian version of easy-on-the-pocket thalis (combination platters).

You will encounter thalis in all parts of India, but none are as sumptuous and vast as the Gujarati thali. So numerous and varied are the offerings—30 dishes—that they often spread across your entire table. Gujarati cuisine, slightly sweet and rich, is in a class of its own, and the sheer variety of vegetables and vegetarian preparations will astonish you.

At top thali places you may be presented with a rose and offered water to freshen up before beginning with a dozen Indian-style salads (often mixed with lentils, chickpeas, paneer, and a blend of spices called chaat masala) and some thin salty buttermilk, called chaas. Course after course follows, served by a flotilla of waiters, so eat sparingly if you want to sample the thali's full range. The next course is usually a snack called a farsan—dhoklas, or handvo (steamed lentil cakes), or wadas (batter-fried potato-and-pea fritters) may be offered, or perhaps a similar delicacy, to be eaten by daubing with a chutney.

Finally, a choice of pickles, condiments, chutneys, raitas (vegetables in yogurt), lightly pickled vegetables (like shredded green papaya) and papads (lentil crisps) will be placed on your table along with the main course on a large thali (platter). The platter will contain numerous katoris (small bowls) of lightly stir-fried and spiced vegetables, lentils, and yogurt- or vegetable-based curries, another small farsan, and a sweet dish. You will be initially expected to eat this course with a variety of flatbreads—some made from millet and some from wheat, and often lathered with ghee or butter. You can request multiple helpings of anything on your platter. A rice dish follows—it may be khichdi (a lentil-rice dish), a pulau (special rice preparation) or plain, steamed rice—and it is to be eaten with the vegetables, lentils, and curries already on your platter.

The final course is another sweet dish or ice cream and sometimes masala chai. You will be given a small bowl of warm water with a slice of lime to wash your hands in. First give the lime a squeeze to help cut the grease and make your hands smell good. If you have done justice to your thali, the best plan of attack may very well be a strategic retreat to your hotel for a small nap to help with digestion. And maybe by evening you'll be ready for another round.