Method of Eating from a Thali
During British Raj, the flatware was introduced Spoon (Chamcha), Fork (Kanta), and Butter knife (Chhuri) for eating food, which was alien to Indian eating habits. The general masses just never took to using flatware except for the spoon and fork in public places like restaurants, but still use their hands for eating food.

Indians wash their hands immediately before and after eating a meal as it is believed that food tastes better when eaten with one’s hands. Thali is traditionally eaten with one’s fingers, and only with the fingers of the right hand, specifically. The left hand is used only for pouring the curries onto rice or serving any other item and to grasp one’s drinking glass.

Since rice or chapattis are placed centrally in the Thali, they are combined with the various curries or dals as per the type of Thali and savoured. There is an order to the progression of Thali eating specially in the South Indian vegetarian Thali:

• Begin by eating any of the vegetables (in both curries and dry form) on the plate. You can also eat the vegetables throughout as an accompaniment to the rice and sauce courses to follow.
• The fiery lentil-based vegetable sauce called “sambhar” is next to be eaten (it is added to a portion of rice as you desire).
• The “rasam”, mixed with rice, is eaten next.
• Curd (yoghurt) mixed with rice is always eaten last, to cool your palate and aid with digestion. The roasted dry chilli, or pickle can be added for balance.
• A few papads are accompaniments to the rice and gravy/ sauce combinations.

There is sometimes a sweet dessert at the end followed by paan.