delhi eats: sagar

i've never been much of an indian food expert, despite my years frequenting Sixth Street, a summer in Curry Hill and frequent visits to Brick Lane. but i've always loved vegetarian indian food - especially dal.

my introduction to vegetarian indian food in delhi was at sagar, a spic, almost utilitarian place in the defence colony market. i ordered the thali and was overwhelmed by the array - and a bit confused about how to eat it, especially after reading that you're supposed to eat with your right hand only. how do you rip the bread with just one hand?

i was there early, so i couldn't watch to see how the others were eating. the very attentive waiter patiently explained what all the dishes were and what they contained, and when asked, suggested i dip a little rice into each curry. that seemed far too dainty so eventually i made a tentative move to dump some rice into the middle of the plate. the waiter rushed over to give me a thumbs up and a big smile, and encouraged me to dump it all in, then mix and mash it up with a little bit from each bowl. aha! delicious.