Just Li'Es

We happened to visit two restaurants recently, one after a long gap of several months and the other for having a go at the much advertised Onam Sadya. After running through the menu   most diligently, we opted for a north Indian thali for our dinner. Yes, it arrived promptly, (I must admit service in the restaurant which bears a typically south Indian name has really improved) and at  first glance   the half filled contents  in the tiniest  stainless steel katoris I have ever seen appeared  quite colourful. I  tried to figure out the North Indian dishes and at the end  of my  sincere efforts, all that I could lay my finger on was a dish with  small pieces of paneer floating in  tomato gravy! What  went in the name of potato paranta needed extra effort to munch which had to be abandoned as it posed a risk to my already bad teeth! Even as I was wondering what would be served next, I saw the waiter approaching our table with  hot  phulkas  which  looked very  appetizing.   But  tell me, can one relish them without any vegetable to accompany? For that matter the menu comprised no vegetable side dishes at all!

Well , our experience at  the second restaurant  which is well known  for serving healthy food  has been relatively  satisfying in that  the menu included a number of  vegetable side dishes  that were  tasty as well. However I missed the hot phulkas  which were not part of the meal !

Can we have the cake and eat it too, I wonder.

n.meera raghavendra rao