Thali: A Joyful Celebration of Indian Home Cooking

by Maunika Gowardhan

In Thali Indian cook and social media star Maunika Gowardhan serves up over 80 easy and accessible recipes that show you just how simple it is to create a Thali at home.

The word 'Thali' refers to the way meals are eaten in India; where a mixed selection of delicious dishes are served together on one platter. They offer a wonderful way to experiment with Indian flavors and dishes and to discover the rich and diverse range of this cuisine.

From familiar and classic Indian dishes like Tadka Dal and Matar Paneer alongside less familiar ones such as Pomegranate Spiced Chicken and Konkani Jackfruit Stir-Fry, these recipes will encourage you to explore the varied and vibrant range of food, flavors and textures across the Indian subcontinent, and give you the confidence and skill to create your own perfect thali.

Featuring a thali inspiration section at the end which showcases four stunning regional thalis to recreate at home, as well as menu ideas to help you mix and match recipes as you like, Thali is a joyful and creative approach to Indian home-cooking that will excite and inspire.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published March 22, 2022

Reviews

[Ruby Alford Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite recipe book I own by far. Recipes are easy to follow, well written and delicious. Great for planning meals for both a large group and eating solo

[Nelly Santanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book to make a thali at your place ! Can't wait to invite people over !
If you love indian food and making food for others. buy this book !

[Cierra B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I have not made anything from this cookbook yet and will update review when I get the chance to make several recipes.

I liked the Thali concept and some of the recipes looked really good. I remember as a kid, I tried gulab jamun at a cultural festival at my school and it was delicious. There is a different take on that recipe in here which I am excited for. I really like the vegetarian dishes in this cookbook and will most likely start off with those.

[Prerana Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cooking and this book not just made me happy to read about recipes but also to look at all the pictures. I was actually salivating. The recipes are authentic yet she has added her own twist. Chai infused ghughra was my favourite. I love thalis and finding different versions like andhra bengali etc was fun.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly presented recipes. I think it would be quite the effort to truly compile a thali-style meal with all the various components, but I look forward to trying. This book absolutely gave me pause to consider which Indian cookbook to add to my collection after the other two recent reads.

[Diane B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yum yum! Some great vegetarian fare, but also some tasty bits for carnivores.
Gowardin has a restaurant and bake shop, so there are also tips for preparing things like ghee, caremelized onions and chutneys for longer-term use in the pantry.

[Aasinathena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg the photos of this book are so stunning, and I can't wait to buy a copy for myself!

[Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

bookmarked sooo many recipes can't wait to try some

[olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recipes tested: coconut gujiya (deep fried pastry with coconut, cardamom, and jaggery), Bengali pantua (sweet potato and cardamom dumplings in a sticky clove syrup), tariwalla murgh (home-style chicken curry), phulkas (wholemeal flatbread), achari gosht (slow-cooked lamb in pickling spices), puris (deep-fried bread with wholemeal flour), tamarind rice

[Marcus Gunaratnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive expose of Thali

I did not realise that there were so many delicious permutations and combinations.
I would reccommend this book to a friend.
A must have for an eclectic cook.