Tap anything on the table. Every piece tells you what it is and when it’s yours.
Plates
Bowls and cups
Glasses
Also on the table
Customs
Wash before, after
Expect to wash your hands before sitting down and again when you finish. You will be eating with them. Source
Right hand only
Eat, pass and receive with your right hand (or both hands to pass), even if you're left-handed. Your left can hold your glass. Source
Keep shared food clean
Food or cutlery that has touched your mouth or your eating hand is jootha (used). Let your host serve you, and never dip your fingers or your own spoon into a serving dish. Source
More is love
Hosts offer more again and again, and a first no may be taken as politeness. Take small helpings so you can say yes, and when you're truly full, say so warmly. Source
Banana leaf, South
In the South the meal may come on a banana leaf. How you fold it when done varies; in Kerala, folding it toward you after a happy occasion usually means you enjoyed it, so watch others. Source
Many kitchens, many rules
Many Indian families are vegetarian, most Hindus avoid beef, and Muslims avoid pork. Many people don't drink, so don't bring meat or alcohol unless you know the family. Source
Plate · In front of you, the whole meal on one tray
Thali
A round metal tray that holds the whole meal. It is your plate.
- When
- Set down as the meal begins. Dishes are often refilled as you go.
- How
- Eat straight from the tray, taking a little from each bowl as you go rather than mixing everything at once.
- Why
- Many small dishes on one tray aim to balance sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter and astringent tastes.
Source: Wikipedia, Thali
Bowl · Small bowl on the tray's rim, left
Dal katori
A small steel bowl (katori) of dal, a lentil dish served at most thali meals.
- When
- All through the meal, with roti and then with rice.
- How
- Scoop it up with a folded piece of roti, or pour a little over a portion of rice with your left hand.
- Why
- Each dish sits in its own bowl, so you choose how to combine them.
Source: Wikipedia, Thali
Bowl · On the rim, top left
Dahi katori
Plain yogurt (dahi) or raita. Cooling next to spicy dishes.
- When
- Any time a dish runs hot. In the South, curd mixed with rice often closes the meal.
- How
- Take a little with rice or roti. It is there to soothe, so use it freely.
- Why
- Yogurt balances heat and is traditionally thought to help digestion.
Source: Trip Reads, A Guide to Eating Thali in India
Bowl · On the rim, top right
Sweet katori
Something sweet, like kheer. It is often on the tray from the start.
- When
- Many people save it for near the end, but the order varies by region. Follow your hosts.
- How
- Eat it with your fingers, or with the spoon if one is offered.
- Why
- A thali aims to cover every taste, and sweet is one of them.
Source: Wikipedia, Thali
Bowl · On the rim, right
Sabzi katori
A vegetable dish (sabzi). A thali may hold two or three.
- When
- Often with roti, early in the meal.
- How
- Pinch some up in a scoop of roti. Right hand only.
- Why
- Vegetables are central to many Indian meals, and many families are vegetarian.
Source: Wikipedia, Thali
Bowl · Middle of the tray
Rice
Plain rice in the center. It gets topped up as you eat.
- When
- In many homes it follows the roti; in the South, rice is the main event.
- How
- Push a small portion aside, add a dish to it, mix with your fingertips, and push each bite in with your thumb.
- Why
- Mixing a little at a time keeps each bite fresh and your hand tidy.
Source: Wikipedia, Customs and etiquette in Indian dining
Other · On the tray, right of the rice
Roti
Flatbread, often served hot one at a time. It is your spoon.
- When
- Early in the meal, especially in the North and West.
- How
- Hold it down with your fingers and tear off a piece with the same right hand. Fold it into a scoop and pick up the food.
- Why
- Keeping your left hand out of the food leaves it clean for your glass and for passing dishes.
Source: Tasting Table, How to Eat Indian Food With Your Hands
Other · Front of the tray
Pickle
Achar: pickle or chutney. It's strong, so a dab per bite is plenty.
- When
- Alongside anything, all meal long.
- How
- Touch a bit of it with your roti or rice. Take only a little to start.
- Why
- A sharp, salty accent is part of the meal's balance, not a dish on its own.
Source: Wikipedia, Thali
Cutlery · Right of the tray
Spoon
Sometimes offered to guests. Using it is fine.
- When
- Any time, but handy for runny dal or the sweet.
- How
- If there's none and you'd like one, it's fine to ask politely. Many Indians use cutlery too.
- Why
- Eating by hand is traditional, not a test. Hosts want you comfortable.
Source: Highlights Travel, Indian Dining Etiquette
Glass · Top left, by your clean hand
Water tumbler
A steel or glass tumbler. Your left hand picks it up.
- When
- All meal.
- How
- Hold it with your left hand, since your right is busy with food. If a jug is shared, pour the water into your mouth without touching the rim.
- Why
- Anything your lips have touched is jootha (used), so it's kept away from what others share.
Source: Rough Guides, Customs and etiquette in India
Other · Top right
Chai
Milky spiced tea. Often the first thing you're offered.
- When
- Soon after you arrive.
- How
- Say yes if you can. Take it with your right hand, or both hands.
- Why
- Guests are expected to accept, and a no may be taken as politeness, so the host may insist.
Source: Cultural Atlas, Indian Culture: Etiquette
Quiz me · 16 moments
Sit down. The meal is about to start.
We walk through the whole meal in order: arriving, before the meal, sitting down, roti, rice, sweet, finishing, the end. Tap the table or pick an answer. Get it wrong and the table shows you.
- Arriving
- Before the meal
- Sitting down
- Roti
- Rice
- Sweet
- Finishing
- The end
The end
right first time