Latest news with #Thali
Los Angeles Times
16-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Review: Restaurants that prove authentic Indian vegetarian cuisine is much more than naan and paneer
Indian restaurants are known for offering plenty of wholesome and appetizing vegetarian options. Yet even within the hugely diverse mansion of Indian vegetarian cuisine, few people venture beyond the limited foyer whose walls are decked with overly popularized dishes like naan, paneer butter masala, and lassi. There are so many authentic rooms, nooks, and corridors from different regions just waiting to be explored. Here are a few restaurants that open some windows into the culinary mansion. When I heard this restaurant featured both North and South Indian cuisine, I doubtfully walked in expecting incomplete caricatures of each. But the natural, almost homestyle blend of the two cuisines turned out to be far from stereotypical. Perhaps for a restaurant like this, the pinnacle of authenticity is not an unflinching fidelity to rules but rather matching the effortlessness of home cooking. Thali's unforced combinations, while still well done, resemble recipes someone would casually put together at home. It could be adding tempered black mustard seeds, the most irreplaceable South Indian seasoning, to the North Indian channa masala . Or it could be using the very North Indian paneer as a topping for uttapams , the soft South Indian griddle cakes. Either way, the chefs know exactly how to produce an eclectic potpourri of authenticity. Rajdhani Thali in Issaquah, Wash. If Thali gives off a homey feel, Rajdhani takes that mood to another level. Instead of having customers order off a menu, servers walk to the tables and sequentially serve the day's multi-course meal in a traditional West Indian Rajasthani style. Rajdhani's homestyle feel is not present merely in the taste of the food but extends to even the manner in which the food is served. (Photo by Divya Srinivasan) For their signature dish daal baati , one server pours the daal , thick lentil soup, directly into our stainless steel bowls, while the next sprinkles in pieces of baati wheat balls as crouton-like toppings. The umami flavors of rice and soft roti mixed with the spicy curries create a flurry of bursting tastes, and cups of Rajasthani aamras, sweetened mango puree, are brought directly to the table just when the spicy meal gets to a point where your tongue starts longing for something sweet. Dining at Rajdhani is not about finding photo-worthy aesthetics or dishes that are too good to eat — it's about experiencing the casual simplicity of culture and tradition. Mylapore Express in Folsom, Calif. With unapologetic nonchalance, this restaurant wholeheartedly represents South Indian Tamil vegetarian cuisine. Items like rava dosa and venn pongal and kuzhambu — staples to most Tamil people but unknown to practically everyone else — are listed on the menu without an ornate description attempting to unravel the intricacies of the dish to an unfamiliar audience. Why would something so obvious need commentary? Simply watching servers scurrying around with two-foot-long dosas and puffed pooris the shape of a football enlightens you far more than any menu's explanations. And of course, at Mylapore, everyone knows you don't end your meal with a cup of typical Westernized masala chai . You finish with classic Tamil filter coffee, aggressively poured back and forth in a thin stream from cup to cup until handmade froth appears, nearly overflowing from the cup's stainless steel rims. It all just feels obvious — and that's what makes this restaurant special.
Edinburgh Live
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
BBC star feared dead in Air India plane crash after posting video inside airport
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info DanceX star Jamie Greenlaw-Meek is feared to be among the victims of the devastating Air India flight tragedy. Jamie, alongside his partner Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek. The couple, familiar faces from This Morning, were listed as two of the 53 British nationals on the ill-fated flight. Before their departure, Fiongal took to The Wellness Foundry Instagram to share: "We are at the airport, just boarding, goodbye India". Jamie also shared some light-hearted thoughts on the impending 10-hour flight. The couple had been documenting their travels on social media, describing the trip as a "magical experience" and teasing followers with a future vlog about their adventures. Reflecting on their journey, Jamie remarked: "We really have been on quite a journey and then just spending the last night here in this most amazing hotel, we've just had the most delicious Thali food. It was the perfect way to round up the trip." After a 10-day wellness retreat, the London-based pair were scheduled to fly back on the Air India service, according to Birmingham Live, which referenced information from Jamie's brother Nick Meek, reports the Manchester Evening News. Nick, a caretaker hailing from Birmingham, told the publication: "We were expecting him home tonight. He should have landed at 6.30pm and then driven up for about 11 to get his dog who is staying with our Mum," as reported by the Express. Their mother has been deeply impacted by the news, with Nick revealing: "She is not in a good way. It is all very raw for her at the moment. It's a lot to take in and we only heard this news a couple of hours ago." Jamie had previously wowed the crowds on BBC One's reality competition Dance X. The show, presented by Ben Shephard, pitted male against female dancers in a battle to form the ultimate dance group, guided by dance pros Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli. (Image: BBC) In other news, a community prayer meeting is slated for 4.30pm on Monday in Harrow, northwest London - home to nearly half of England's Gujarati speakers. Set to take place at the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, the gathering aims to unite the tight-knit community shaken by the recent troubling events in Ahmedabad, signifying their first group meet since the developments came to light. Krishna Pujara, deputy leader of the National Council for Gujarati Organisations in the UK, expressed her sorrow: "It's a very, very sad day. We have been doing our best to try to help everybody and see what we can do to help." She added that on this sombre occasion, "On a dark day for the community we stand in unity with the families of the victims - may they find strength and peace."
New Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
British couple posted 'Goodbye India' video from airport before boarding ill-fated Air India flight
A British couple heading home after a 10-day wellness retreat in India ended up in the ill-fated Air India flight. The couple was among the 245 onboard the flight that crashed shortly after take-off killing almost all on board except one miracle survivor at Ahmedabad on Thursday. The couple, Jamie Ray Greenlaw-Meek (45) and Fiongal Greenlaw (39), had posted a video from the airport about their "magical experience" in India as they waited to board the ill-fated flight. The couple was running a spiritual wellness company in London. According to the Independent, in a video shared onto their company The Wellness Foundry's Instagram account, Fiongal, a former fashion designer, said: 'We are at the airport, just boarding, goodbye India'. His husband then joked about the lengthy 10-hour flight. In another clip shared to social media, they described their trip as a 'magical experience' and promised to share a vlog with their followers of their 'mind blowing things'. 'We really have been on quite a journey and then just spending the last night here in this most amazing hotel, we've just had the most delicious Thali food. It was the perfect way to round up the trip,' Jamie said. The Wellness Foundry, which is located in Vauxhall, offers psychic readings, tarot cards and aura readings, and has partnered with major brands such as Netflix, Google and Dior. On its webpage, it details that Fiongal founded the company in 2018 after experiencing a spiritual awakening following a mysterious illness. His husband joined the team in 2023 as co-director and head of events, and he also offered psychic readings and life coaching. Jamie and Fiongal were among 53 British nationals on the Boeing 787-8 when it crashed on Thursday.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Two British spiritual healers uploaded Instagram video from gate saying how happy India had left them before boarding doomed flight
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek (39) a tarot reader, psychic artiste and spiritual adviser and founder of Wellness Foundry, and his husband Jamie Meek (Picture credit: Instagram/@wellnessfoundry) LONDON: A gay British couple working as spiritual healers who uploaded an Instagram video from Ahmedabad airport saying how happy and calm India had left them just before boarding the doomed Air India flight AI171 are among the victims of the tragedy. Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek (39) a tarot reader, psychic artiste and spiritual adviser and founder of Wellness Foundry, and his husband Jamie Meek (45), a spiritual practitioner and yoga teacher, director of events at the foundry, based in Vauxhall, London, had been travelling in India before the crash and posted videos of their holiday on social media. The passenger list shows that both boarded the plane. They put a jovial video up on Instagram shortly before boarding from the gate at Ahmedabad airport. In it Fiongal said, 'We are going back happily, happily, happily calm' and that his biggest takeaway was 'Don't lose patience with your partner' after Jamie joked Fiongal had 'already snapped at him' having chai at the airport. In another Instagram video post they had posted from their boutique hotel, the House of MG, in Ahmedabad, Fiongal said: 'It's our last night in India and we've had a magical experience really and some mind-blowing things have happened.' 'We really have been on quite a journey, and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel, and we have just had the most delicious Thali food. It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you,' Jamie said. The Wellness Foundry was founded by Fiongal in late 2018, born out of a spiritual awakening that was sparked by a mysterious illness he had. On its website, Fiongal said that seeking healing beyond conventional methods, he had delved into alternative practices that resonated with his soul. It began as a one-man endeavour and until now has 12 expert practitioners, offering tarot and psychic readings, past life regression and reiki healings, as well as psychic retreats.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
#AkhilZainab share intimate glimpses from their wedding ceremony
1 2 Akhil Akkineni and Zainab Ravdjee got married on Friday in a Telugu-style ceremony. The couple shared photos from the wedding, capturing key moments — Akhil tying the Thali around Zainab's neck, the two taking the pheras with jasmine garlands, and holding hands as they completed the rituals. The couple is set to host a reception at Annapurna Studios on Sunday. Sobhita extended a warm welcome to Zainab and congratulated the newly married couple. 'With immense joy, Amala and I are delighted to share that our dear son has married his beloved Zainab. We watched a dream come true surrounded by love, and those dearest to us. We seek your blessings as they begin this new journey together.' posted Nagarjuna Akkineni on X
