Air India, the national carrier of India, has starting serving thalis on board its flights for the first time.

Thali.

Thali. Image by butforthesky.com / CC BY 2.0

The thali – a one plate meal with rice, chapatis and servings of sometimes a dozen different meat or vegetable curries – is a national staple and the most common way meals are served in many parts of the country, but this is the first time a thali has been served in the air. The airline has also started serving masala chai (spiced tea) in traditional kulhads – disposable terracotta cups used to prevent ritual pollution in India’s complicated caste system. Currently the meals are only available on Delhi-Mumbai flights, but there are plans to roll the thalis out to other sectors. Read more: timesofindia.indiatimes.com