This holiday season seems to be filled with dining out especially at lunch. I am often too full from lunch to bother with much cooking for dinner so new recipes are going to be a little slow.

One thing I have found when dining out is that ethnic restaurants often present a much wider set of vegan and vegetarian tastes than standard American fare. Yesterday we had lunch at Ananda Bhavan, a vegetarian South Indian restaurant. I chose their lunch special, thali.

Thali refers to the metal platter that the dish is served on. On the plate are seven or eight cups filled with a variety of condiments running the gamut from spicy, salty, citric, sweet, and mellow. It is served with rice and Indian breads. It was attractive and delicious.

Thali, a South Indian vegetarian dish