PUNE, India — East of Mumbai, on the banks of the Mula-Muttha River, sits Pune, a city known for its IT hubs, manufacturing, and culture. The city center is crowded at lunch, with diners who are mostly students and families looking for reasonably priced, high-quality, vegetarian food.

They may end up at a “thali” restaurant — an all-you-can-eat version of Chinese dim-sum and Brazilian rodizio named for the round steel plate in which the food is served. Thalis are popular throughout South Asia. The 11-inch individual platter carries curries in small bowls called katoris that line the periphery, with staples like roti and rice in the center. Menus change by season and occasion and vary by region.

At the popular Sukanta restaurant, the cuisine comes from three western states — Maharshtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Dining room décor is gold and marble, typical of the palaces in these parts, and customers are greeted by a 3-foot statue of Ganesha, the elephant god. In front of Ganesha sits a thali with the dishes of the day. Waiters dressed in smart short-sleeved black suits with gold details glide between tables serving from steel trays and vessels with handles.

No sooner are we seated than a waiter arrives with glasses of kala kattha, an Indian blackberry drink with black salt and sugar that aids digestion. The drink is tangy and refreshing and a sip transports me to the India of my childhood, when we drank kala kattha through the long, sweltering summer days.