Collection of Indian non-vegetarian thali ideas.
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What is ‘non-vegetarian’ food
Non-vegetarian food is a term commonly used in India for food that has meat, fish or eggs in it. It is more commonly called non-veg food. Not just for food, it can be used for a person too – a person eating meat is a non-vegetarian in Indian English. Egg too is not classified as vegetarian for Indians. Well, they are called “eggitarians”. A typical non-veg meal includes meat or fish in it along with other vegetarian dishes – for example, dal or sabji (dry curry). My non-vegetarian thali/meals in this collection include not just delicious meat dishes, but also some mouthwatering vegetarian dishes.
If you know me or have followed me through my food journey, you are well aware of my love for having an organised meal called thali. I have earlier shared what is an Indian thali and my collection of thali/platter including festival meals, South-Indian meals, and vegetarian Punjabi meals. Here is my collection of Indian non-vegetarian thali ideas. These meals have meat including chicken, goat, seafood, and also egg dishes.
Non-Vegetarian Thali #1
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of chicken curry, aloo gobi, dal fry, roti, carrot halwa, boondi raita, and rice (placed in the centre).
- Chicken curry – chicken pieces cooked in onion-tomato gravy
- Aloo gobi – potato and cauliflower cooked in a spicy gravy
- Dal fry – pigeon pea lentil (toor dal) cooked with onion, tomatoes and aromatic spices
- Carrot halwa – Our all time favorite dessert
- Boondi raita – whisked yogurt mixed with boondi or tiny fried gram flour balls
- Rice and roti
Non-Vegetarian Thali #2
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of kadai paneer, salad, jeera rice, shahi chicken, boondi raita, and papad (placed at the center of the plate).
- Kadai paneer – cottage cheese cooked with onion, capsicum and freshly ground spices
- Jeera rice – cooked basmati rice stir fried with ghee and cumin seeds
- Shahi Chicken – Rich, creamy chicken curry with a nutty flavour
- Boondi raita – whisked yogurt mixed with boondi (tiny fried gram flour balls)
- Salad and papad
Non-Vegetarian Thali #3
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of mutton curry, baingan bharta, kachumder salad, missi roti with butter, and carrot halwa.
- Mutton Curry – Goat meat cooked with onion, tomatoes and aromatic spices
- Baingan Bharta – Eggplants roasted on an open flame and finished off with onion, tomato, and minimal spices
- Kachumber salad – chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion in lemon juice, salt, chilli powder dressing
- Missi Roti – Gram flour and whole wheat flour flatbreads
- Gajar Halwa – carrot halwa or pudding, where grated carrots are slow-cooked in milk, and finished with sugar, ghee, nuts, and raisins
Non-Vegetarian Thali #4
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of kachumber salad, prawn curry, pumpkin curry, lemon rice, rasgulla, and homemade yogurt.
Kachumber salad – chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion in lemon juice, salt, chilli powder dressing
Prawn Curry – a classic Bengali delicacy in which prawns are cooked along with coconut milk and spices
Pumpkin Curry – made with pumpkin, potatoes, and brown chickpea (or kala chana). This simple no onion no garlic dish is an excellent accompaniment to both rice and roti
Lemon rice – a simple flavourful dish where cooked rice is tossed with an easy tempering and a generous serving of lemon juice
Rasgulla – Soft and spongy cottage cheese dumplings in sugar syrup
Non-Vegetarian Thali #5
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of panchmishali, bitter gourd fry, amaranth stir-fry, steamed rice, kalakand, and mutton curry.
- Panchmishali – medley of vegetables slow cooked with whole spices
- Bitter gourd fry – thinly sliced bitter gourd or karela rubbed with salt and turmeric powder and shallow fried
- Amaranth Greens Stir fry – quick and healthy side dish where amaranth is stir-fried with garlic and dry red chilli
- Steamed rice
- Kalakand – cottage cheese milk fudge that tastes so good and at the same time has so many textures – soft, chewy, crumbly, and nutty
- Mutton curry – Goat meat cooked with onion, tomatoes and aromatic spices
Non-Vegetarian Thali #6
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of dal makhani, matar paneer, chicken kebab, jeera rice, shrikhand, kachumber salad, and besan laddu (placed in the center).
- Dal Makhani – silky velvety dal makhani made with whole black lentil, red kidney beans, and butter; and finished with a touch of cream
- Matar paneer – cottage cheese and green peas cooked in a rich creamy onion-tomato gravy
- Chicken Kebab – Juicy, succulent, melt-in-mouth kebabs where chicken is marinated overnight in a mix of spices and yogurt
- Jeera Rice – Basmati rice cooked with ghee, cumin seeds, and green peas
- Shrikhand – hung yogurt sweetened with sugar and flavoured with saffron and cardamom
- Kachumber salad – chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion in lemon juice, salt, chilli powder dressing
- Besan laddu – Ghee roasted gram flour (besan) mixed with sugar and nuts, shaped into round laddus
Non-Vegetarian Thali #7
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of dal makhani, kachumber salad, kalakand, naan, chicken kebab, and mixed vegetable curry.
- Dal makhani – silky velvety dal makhani made with whole black lentil, red kidney beans, and butter; and finished with a touch of cream
- Kachumber salad – chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion in lemon juice, salt, chilli powder dressing
- Kalakand – cottage cheese milk fudge that tastes so good and at the same time has so many textures – soft, chewy, crumbly, nutty…
- Naan – Soft, fluffy leavened flatbread in it’s signature tear-drop shape
- Chicken Kebab – Juicy, succulent, melt-in-mouth kebabs where chicken is marinated overnight in a mix of spices and yogurt
- Mixed Vegetable curry – medley of vegetables cooked in a spicy onion-tomato gravy
Non-Vegetarian Thali #8
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of vegetable pulao, roasted broccoli, Mysore rasam, steamed rice, boondi raita, boiled egg (placed in the center) and sheera (placed outside the plate).
- Vegetable Pulao – Basmati rice cooked with vegetables and coriander-coconut masala base
- Roasted broccoli with garlic – Simple and healthy dish that can be made with just 3 ingredients under 15 minutes
- Mysore rasam – Pigeon pea lentil or toor dal cooked with tomatoes and freshly ground spice mix
- Steamed rice
- Boondi raita – whisked yogurt mixed with boondi or tiny fried gram flour balls
- Hard-boiled egg seasoned with salt and pepper
- Sheera – suji halwa or semolina pudding. Mildly sweet pudding with loads of cashew and raisins
Non-Vegetarian Thali #9
Starting from the top, clockwise: this thali consists of mung bean salad, okra fry, dal fry, steamed rice, kalakand, egg curry, and raw turmeric pickle (placed in the center).
- Mung bean salad – sprouted mung bean seasoned with salt, red chilli powder, and lime juice
- Okra fry – slices of okra or bhindi shallow fried and seasoned with salt
- Dal fry – pigeon pea lentil or toor dal slow cooked with onion, tomatoes, and aromatic spices
- Steamed rice
- Kalakand – cottage cheese milk fudge that tastes so good and at the same time has so many textures – soft, chewy, crumbly, nutty…
- Egg curry – Hard-boiled eggs cooked with potatoes and peas in an onion-tomato gravy
- Raw turmeric pickle – simple and very healthy instant pickle ready in just 10 minutes
This is my collection of Indian Non-Vegetarian Thali Ideas. Happy cooking!
