02/28/2023
One of my favourite things about Indian food is thali platters. Thali means “plate” or “full meal” and refers to the way Indian food is typically served. Every region of India has its own default of what is typically found on a thali.
In Panjabi cuisine, there are typically two versions. The first version makes use of a meat protein cooked using the curry method, usually chicken, with jeeroo rice, dry vegetables, a daal, cucumber raita, a dessert, and roti or chapati. The second version is vegetarian and usually consists of a chana (chickpea) dish for the protein, prepared using the curry method, to replace the chicken.
Daal makhani is now a common daal in Panjabi homes and restaurants when serving thali, thanks to its ease of making and ability to balance all the different flavour profiles. It wasn’t always this way. Like butter chicken, this dish was invented by Kundan Lal Jaggi post-partition as a vegetarian alternative to butter chicken.
The traditional recipe calls for cream. In CRIP UP THE KITCHEN, my version calls for canned coconut milk to help reduce food waste and to make it one of those dishes you can prepare any time without planning. The masala is also slightly different, but that’s because every home has their own version of garam masala. My recipe calls for the use of either whole spices—if you have them—or two teaspoons (10 mL) of Garam Masala (recipe also in the book) if you don’t.
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