Maboneng gem is the go-to spot for a quick Indian Food fix

29 March 2017 - 14:28 By Ufrieda Ho
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Even the table tops are interesting at Maboneng’s Thali.
Even the table tops are interesting at Maboneng’s Thali.
Image: Supplied

Maybe you wouldn't visit a restaurant just to have their pickles, but then again you haven't tried the pudina at Thali, in Maboneng, in the Joburg CBD.

The peanut and mint pickle is just a condiment on a blackboard of food options at the little takeaway spot in Maverick Corner, but the deep flavouring of sour tamarind, garlic and chilli combined with the main ingredients of mint and peanuts creates a chunky pesto-like offering you'll want to spread on just about everything.

The pleasure of Thali is in all things small, from the small bowl of pudina to the details of individually decorated tables (there are only three main tables, because it is a small place).

The table tops are decoupage odes to Madiba, the history of Indians in South Africa, and even comic-book heroes, cut-outs made from card collections of the owners' now-grown children.

It's eclectic, it's thoroughly South African and it fits the owners' claim to being "classic South African Indian".

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Being South African Indian means you'll find bunny chows on the menu. There are chicken and lamb bunnies, as well as beans and potato variants, in medium and large sizes that range between R30 and R75.

You'll find fried masala hake and chips (R60) and samp and beans with lamb chunks (R75).

You might hear some rock music in the background and there's, thankfully, no phoney Indian decor.

Thali opened about a year ago and the family-run business has become a favourite in the growing local community of Maboneng for a quick lunch or a takeaway dinner. Visitors grab a meal to fuel-up with before exploring the enlarging space of the precinct.

The owners are chatty and hands-on. That means you can watch the chef prepping the meals while his parents talk you through their specials.

Worth a try are the thalis (R105 - R145). Thali is the name of the traditional round metal trays used as platters from which to serve a selection of dishes that together should give the diner a balance of tastes from sweet, salty, bitter, sour, spicy and astringent in one meal.

Thali's thalis include a roti and rice and a small glass of lassi, which is traditionally made with yoghurt, milk, cardamon and pureed fresh fruit.

In their vegetarian thali there's dhal, potato curry, pumpkin curry and soya chunks with cabbage. The dhal was tasty, but had the consistency of thin soup, so this needs some tweaking.

The rest of the dishes were layered in their flavouring, which meant even the soya chunks were quite yummy.

The butter chicken (R80) got the thumbs up. Thali's owners say their dish has a Thai-inspiration, too. So, don't expect the reddish-orange colour of more traditional masala and tomato-based butter chickens.

The spicing of the gravy was spot on, and it was creamy and smooth - and the chicken was still tender.

Thali is perfect for your quick fix of Indian food with a South African twist.

Thali is open Tuesday to Sundays 11am to 8pm at Maverick Corner, Maboneng, 300 Commissioner Street.

This article was originally published in The Times.

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