Don’t Play with your Food



Inspired by the Gurdwara steel thalis, the hand crafted clay thalis featured in Don’t Play With Your Food, were made through a literal process of embedding clay in a steel tray to take on the form and meaning of the generous practice of Langar. The trays were painted in peach glazes, reminiscent of the 1970s iridescent glass tea sets that came out on special occasions. They were decorated with Punjabi folk songs that question caste, food politics and growing. They also contain ayurvedic knowledge on food and specific political phrases.


“Langar thalis are usually steel, a langar thali is one of the most recognised utensils in the Sikh religion but used all of India and other parts of South Asia. It is a plate which has five to six compartments which look like bowls. It is designed with enough compartments to serve an entire meal composed of several dishes in a single plate. They are used at the Sikh Temple (Gurdwara) to serve Guru Ka Langar. A langar thali is the ideal choice due to its compact nature and ability to hold an entire meal.

The steel used to form these plates is of premium quality and comes with a lifelong guarantee, thus ensuring durability. As a child, my mother would often use Thalis to serve meals, I had a small version with three compartments, one for my roti, one for my Sabji (vegetables) or Dhaal and the final compartment for my Dahi (yoghurt). I have fond memories of eating Sunday morning Paratha in my tray.”

Images courtesy of Sunny Bank Mills