The Indian Thali

The card shows delicious South Indian Thali. Traditional meals are often eaten on banana leaf. I remember how back at home, we used banana leaf during festivities, when there are too many people gathered for meals. On the corner left, is poppadum with 'vada'. 'Vadas' are made from crushed lentils, gram flours, and potatoes all mashed together with spices and rolled into puffs of either doughnut or disc shape. They are later deep fried in oil to give it a nice brown colour. Next to the Vada, is rice, which is the main staple food. On its right, is a piece of eggplant fried in batter, and a red and a green chilli. Directly on top of it, are different varieties of curries, made with vegatables. The one directly overhead of the chillie, is carrot curry, chopped and cooked, Left of it, is cabbage curry, one of my favorites. Then comes the famous potato and peas curry, which I like mostly with rotis. Left of it is the beetroot curry, beetroots are finely chopped up and cooked with spices. Next comes the delicious coconut chutney, followed by 'achaar' or pickles, followed by salt to taste. Outside the bana leaf, on the left is a bowl of youghurt, which is generally eaten with rice near the end of the meal. Right next to it is the yellow lentil soup. Then comes the delicious 'Sambhar', which is lentils cooked with a varieties of vegetables such as tomatoes, cuurry leaf, and eggplant. Finally its the dessert, 'Payasam', or rice pudding.