South Indian Thali : A way Of Healthy Eating

A thali is a complete meal in itself.  Thalis vary depending on the region, culture, heritage. Thalis is a meal that can be vegetarian as well as non vegetarian.  Vegetarian and vegan thalis reign supreme in India due to large portion of population follows the Hindu guidelines of vegetarianism. No matter how simple the thali is, the ingredients range from appetizers to desserts. 

Hi I am Riddhi Gandhi, and I am back with another blog that is a mixture of spices along with healthy eating. When it comes to food there are certain staple  dishes in every meal. I have come up with such a kind of thali which eaten everyday will help boost your immunity and improve gut and heart health.  It is a South Indian thali with a combination of sambar, Rasam , Sabzi or Palya, dessert and a salad.

The south part of India consists of states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu .These states have shared cultures and languages in similarities as well . So for the purpose of understanding we call it a common term called south Indian. South Indian food is about as diverse as the region it originates from. with over 250 million people and dozens of languages found in this region, south India represents a diverse spectrum of culture and cuisine's. South India is a home to many of the worlds most coveted ingredients like curry leaves, pepper corns, tamarind, coconut and chillies. Many dishes feature over dozens different spices ,allowing the spices to mingle and marry to create vibrant fireworks of flavors .

The south Indian thali consists of Sambar, Rasam, vegetable sabzi or Palya , rice, dessert usually Payasam  accompanied with salad , Papadam , curd and buttermilk. Sambar is a south Indian lentil and vegetable stew made with pigeon pea lentils, tamarind and a unique blend of spices called sambar powder. It is a staple dish in south Indian homes and is equally popular and loved by many. 

The word Rasam means juice in Tamil and Telugu. It may mean any juice. Rasam is a south Indian traditional soup made with tamarind, tomatoes warming spices and aromatic herbs. Rasam is a soup like dish where juices of tangy tamarind and tomatoes  are simmered with tempered whole spices like mustard seeds ,cumin seeds , fenugreek and black pepper. This spices apart from adding flavors also aid in digestion. This humble and comforting soup is said to possess a lot of medicinal values as it is simmered with healing spices. Since it aid in digestion it is great to have even during cold and stomach upsets. 

Palya  is a classic South Indian recipe usually composed of a single vegetable chopped into bite size pieces and sauted in oil that has been seasoned with black mustard seeds Asafoetida, Chillies and curry leaves. the dish is then finished with lemon juice, grated coconut and cilantro. Depending on which state in south India you are in, this same preparation is referred to by different names such as thoran or poriyal.

Payasam ,also known as kheer, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popularly in the Indian  subcontinent usually made by boiling milk, sugar and jaggery and rice, although rice may be substitute with one of the following, dal, bulgur wheat, millet, tapioca ,Vermacilli or sweet corns. it is typically flavored with desiccated coconut ,cardamoms, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds or other dry fruits and nuts.

A Papadam is also known as Papad is an Indian dough of black gram bean flour either deep fried or cooked with dry heat until crunchy

I hope you all liked reading the blog. Will come up with another thali and different delicacies . Until then have a good day and enjoy reading.