Nutritionists and dietitians agree that the Indian thali follows the principles of Ayurveda, ensuring a balance of six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) in one meal.

sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent, and spicy. According to K.T. Achaya in A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food, the thali originated as a rice-cooking pot over 2,500 years ago, during India ...