Plant-Powered Thali

Devouring this simple, plant-powered thali. A “Thali” is a platter that is made up of several dishes to create a perfectly balanced meal, like a sampler meal, usually with rice, flatbread, dal, curries, yogurt, & dessert.

I don’t think that there is any right or wrong when it comes to what to serve in a thali, as long as it is balanced in terms of taste & nutrition. Here’s a mini everyday-thali, sans dessert – nothing fancy – just rice, dal, aloo gobi (stir-fried potato & cauliflower), eggplant-almond curry, paratha (whole wheat flat bread), salad & poppadoms

Plant-Powered Thali

Here’s a mini everyday-thali, sans dessert - nothing fancy - just rice, dal, aloo gobi (stir-fried potato & cauliflower), eggplant-almond curry, paratha (whole wheat flat bread), salad & poppadoms.

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian-Inspired

Keyword Plant-Based, Vegan Thali

Total Time 2

Servings

Author Anusha

Ingredients

Eggplant-almond curry

1 large eggplant washed & cut into cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
3 medium size tomatoes diced or 1 small can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cayenne or as needed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1/4 cup unsalted almonds toasted (sliced or slivered)
Salt to taste

Potato-cauliflower stir fry

1 large russet potato washed, peeled & cubed
1 small cauliflower washed & cut into florets
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp cayenne or as needed
cilantro freshly chopped, as needed

Dal

1/2 cup split yellow dal mung dal
1/2 cup split red lentils masoor dal
1/4 cup split pigeon peas toor dal
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp oil any variety
2 small cinnamon sticks
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large onion finely chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1 serrano chili or any variety, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
cayenne a pinch

Tempering (dal)

1 Tbsp unsalted vegan butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-4 dried red chilies
Pinch asafetida available at South Asian stores

Instructions

Eggplant-almond curry

In a large skillet, add olive oil. Add in the eggplant & salt, sauté on medium heat for 15 minutes or until they wilt & shrink in size, stirring occasionally
Add the diced tomatoes, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, coriander, 1/2 cup water and let it simmer covered for 10 minutes on med-high heat.
Check for seasoning and doneness. You may add some hot water to adjust consistency
Turn off heat
Stir in the toasted almonds & cilantro

Potato-cauliflower stir fry

Heat a non-stick skillet & add cumin seeds & toast them for about a minute.
Add garlic & stir to combine
Add potato and cauliflower
Sprinkle some water & season with salt.
Add ground turmeric, ground cayenne, stir to combine
Cover & cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Check if the potatoes & cauliflower are cooked through (make sure the cauliflower stems are tender & cooked too). If not, sprinkle some more water, cover & continue to cook for few more minutes

Dal

Combine the lentils in a large saucepan, rinse them & set aside
Add ground turmeric & about 5 cups water to the lentils & bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat & simmer, partly covered, until the lentils are soft & tender, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a traditional pressure cooker or an electric one, like the Instant Pot, to cook them faster. Once cooked, beat the lentils with a whisk for a minute
The consistency should not be too thin or thick. If too thick, add more water. If too thin, continue to simmer a little longer.
Season lentils with salt
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add cinnamon & cardamom, & sauté for 30 seconds.
Add garlic & sauté until light brown, followed by onions & cook for 5-7 minutes
Add the chili peppers & tomatoes & cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 4-5 minutes
Add the onion-tomato mixture to the lentils & stir well to combine. Cover & reduce heat to the lowest setting, while you prepare the tempering

Tempering (tadka) (just before serving)

Heat a small pan & melt vegan butter, add cumin seeds & dried chilies, fry for 20 seconds, turn off heat, add the asafetida, & pour this mixture over the lentils
Garnish with cilantro leaves & ground cayenne
Turn off heat & serve hot

Good Old Vegan

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