One of the biggest celebrations in the American calendar, where food plays a major role is the Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a US holiday that takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. This year, celebrate it with an awesome Indian inspired menu.

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My First Thanksgiving Dinner
It’s been over a decade, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. All of us students from foreign countries were invited to the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the University. It was a kind gesture by the administration to make us feel at home with the new land, culture, people & food. It was my first.
Just like every other new student, I was curious to learn what this much talked about Thanksgiving dinner was all about.The place was crowded with faculty, staff and students when we entered the venue.Greeting each other politely, we took our respective seats at the table.There was music, dance, laughter & cheer, all of which was fun and inviting.
It is difficult to recollect if someone served the food or we had to serve ourselves around the buffet table.One thing, I clearly remember though is the “pale looking something” on my plate.I leaned over to a friend who sat beside me and asked her what that was.She whispered ,”Mashed potato”.I looked at her puzzled.”Did they forget to add something? What do we eat it with?” Her stoic reply,”Just eat!” and I did.I was the “fresh off the boat Desi” then, she… was a year into it.
If you ever watched the show,”Everybody loves Raymond” I played Robert during our entire Thanksgiving dinner that evening. For those of you, who are not familiar with the American sitcom television series here is a clipping, of what I am talking about….
Food with no spices in it, was a totally new experience for me, having never tasted it before.I totally understand it would be vice-versa if the roles were reversed. One is more acquainted with what our taste buds are accustomed to.
A Thanksgiving meal with a twist
Touching all the bases of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, here is an Indian inspired menu, for those of us who love the Indian flavors.Being a part of the bigger celebration and giving thanks in our own way is what the feast is all about.So if you are looking for a refreshing change to shake things up a little and you also happen to love Indian food, here is a menu to suit your palate.
The Traditional Thanksgiving meal
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
My Indian Inspired Thanksgiving menu
In my Indian inspired Thanksgiving menu, I have tried to stick as close to the basic ingredients of a traditional Thanksgiving meal as possible, with a spicy touch to it .You will find that I have used potatoes, spinach, cranberries, carrots, bread, eggplant gravy, lamb and an Indian version of a pie in the menu. Instead of the traditional turkey, I have included chicken here (coz, for some unknown reason the size of the big bird makes me loose my appetite).
The appetizers

The Starters
- Poori/Bhaji (The Indian version of mashed potato)
- Carrot Paniyaram
- Cranberry Thokku/Relish
- Carrot Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Bread, Stuffed Bun & Curries
- Palak Phulka/Spinach Flat Bread
- Banana Flat Bread
- Chicken stuffed Buns
- Bhaingan Bharta/Roasted Eggplant
- Bhagara Bhaingan/Tempered Eggplant curry

The Main Course
- Green Peas Pulao
- Chicken Ghee Roast (Skip the turkey, go for the chicken!)
- Kosha Mangsho/ Lamb curry
- Snap Beans Poriyal/ Stir Fry
- Carrot Poriyal/Stir Fry
- Brussel Sprouts Stew

Dessert
- Thekkare Adde/Baked Cucumber Cake
- Beetroot Halwa
- Nectarine Kesari/Sheera

Go on SPICE IT UP, babe !
Wow your guests, with the bold flavors of India and together “Give Thanks”!
NOTE : Please click on the menu item for the recipe link to open.
Links to my other posts on gratitude
- The attitude of gratitude
- What are you grateful for this month?
- What do our pets teach us about gratitude?
- Choose to be grateful
- Give thanks!
- How to be thankful, when life hurts?
- A Thanksgiving meal with an Indian inspired menu
- Turkey cupcakes for Thanksgiving
- How to make Pumpkin rolls/Buns?
- Be Thankful for the strength
- How to show gratitude
- Happy Thanksgiving!
Bottom Line
Hope you spice up your Thanksgiving meal this year with a Desi/Indian touch.There are so many choices for you to choose from our tried and tested recipes. We guarantee, you will be grateful for the menu, once you are done with our delightful spread!
We would love to get your feedback on the recipes you tried. Please feel free to share in the comments section below.
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Yum it all looks so amazing! I love Indian food. One of my 63 things for my 63rd birthday is to cook an Indian dish at home. I’ve vegan but I know there are lots of recipes to try. Any suggestions for a first time recipe?
Lovely. Here’s wishing you a wonderful 63rd birthday. There are so many options to try.Perhaps, you can start with a festive , yet simple rice recipe like Bell pepper/Capsicum rice and pair it with a simple side dish like a cucumber raita.Both are not too spicy and are in this months seasonal produce list, so readily available & nutritious too. Have shared my recipes links below, to make it easier for you. Enjoy!
https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/bell-pepper-capsicum-rice-recipe-how-to-make/
https://stirringmyspicysoul.com/cucumber-raita/
What a neat idea!! Very festival!
Thank you, so appreciate your kind words.
It all sounds wonderful to me.
Thank you.
I love this menu! Carrot soup is a great idea!
Thank you. Perfect as a starter for the big meal & definitely weather friendly this season.
Your back story made me laugh! The meal sounds wonderful!
Thank you, for understanding the humor in it. Honestly, I thought something more spicy was coming 😀 So appreciate your kind words & encouragement.
Your recipes always look so inviting. What a great twist on Thanksgiving.
So glad to hear that. Thank you, for your kind words, much appreciated.
That is funny! I agree Thanksgiving food is kind of bland. I like that you make it your own. Thanksgiving is more about being grateful anyway and making memories with family.
Thank you for “getting me”, especially for someone whose taste buds have only known spicy food until then, it was a day & night difference 😀 You are so right about the meaning in Thanksgiving , it is all about being grateful & making memories with loves ones.
What a lovely menu!
Thank you 🙂
Sounds like a unique and delicious Indian inspired menu!
It sure is, hope you get to taste it some time. So appreciate your kind words.
Wow! These look so yummy! We aren’t making the traditional Thanksgiving food this year and are opting for some new dishes instead!
How fun, if that is the case, would you love to try some of our recipes. You can always adjust the spice levels to your taste. I promise you they are delicious & there are some great vegan choices in my list of recipes here. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Sounds spicy and yummy!
Thank you.
I love trying new things and am excited to incorporate some of these recipes in a few weeks!
That makes me so happy to hear that. They are delicious, I promise. Have a fun filled Thanksgiving with a touch of spice this year.
I would love to try some of these dishes. It’s always interesting to learn what others live to cook.
They are quick & easy recipes, you can definitely try at home. I can vouch for their deliciousness. Please do share your feedback when you try out some of our recipes, would love to hear it.Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this. I think I will spice up my Thanksgiving. We are use to adding non-traditional dishes to our Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing.
Way to go! So happy to hear that & who knows perhaps you will be hooked to more spicy food from now on. I can vouch for their delicious taste for sure & they are easy to prepare, once you follow my step by step procedure.Do let us know how it turned out would love to hear it. Happy spicy Thanksgiving!
Delicious options, everything looks so good!
Thank you, so appreciate your kind words & encouragement.
Looks delicious! I would love to add some of these dishes to my Thanksgiving meal!
Thank you. Go on, try some, I will bet you will love them. Do share your feedback with us when you do. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sounds like an amazing way to add new flavors and spices to enhance the traditional foods that other might do.. eggplant sounds amazing!
Thank you, so appreciate your kind words.If you enjoy eggplants there are so many options in Indian food to try out. Enjoy!
I totally want to come to YOUR house for Thanksgiving. This all looks and sounds so good!
You are most welcome.We would love to share our Indian inspired Thanksgiving meal with you. Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family.
It all looks so good! The spinach fritters and banana flatbread sound very tasty! thank you for sharing
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the Banana flat bread & Spinach fritters recipes.Banana flat breads are tasty on their own or you can pair them with a dip of your choice. Spinach fritters are perfect for rainy/winter days, paired with a simple ketchup & hot coffee they are a favorite evening snack option in India, which can also be used as starters in party food menu.Thank you, for your kind words, happy to share.
Some wonderful dishes and thoughts Maya, thank you!
Thank you, Karen, for stopping by my blog & sharing your kind words & thoughts, much appreciated my friend. wishing you a wonderful week ahead !