Eat a thali in India with my hands

“I've had the pleasure of indulging in sumptuous curries ranging from meat to vegetables, grains and pulses using the age-old tradition of eating curry with one's fingers as I travel India or known locally as Bharat ( derived from the Sanskrit name for the country.) I've embraced the centuries-old motto and tweaked it a little, 'When in India, do as the Indians do.' I've found myself eschewing utensils in favour of the tactile connection afforded by using my fingers. [...] Find a clean space on your thali plate to scoop up a small portion of rice and curry. Mix the curry with the rice using only your fingertips, not the whole hand. This is done so the curry is absorbed into the rice, ready for you to eat and enjoy. Gently picking up the mixed food with your fingers, shape the rice and curry into a small bite-sized portion. Push the bite of food into your mouth by sliding the food down your fingers levered by your thumb. Be careful not to let your fingers touch your lips.”

“When eating rice, a little of food from each of the katoris is mixed into a little of the rice on the thali with fingers (or, if one insists, with a spoon! Yes a spoon, not a fork!) to get a different flavour at each bite. [...] In all my travels around the world, it is only in India that I have seen this amazing hospitality with food, where waiters serve food calmly, readily, lovingly, urging you to have some more.”