A London-based restaurant has introduced a 12-item banana leaf meal called Mahatma Thali inspired by the diet of the Father of the Nation.

Kolhapur-born artist Manali Jagtap Nyheim and award- winning Ganapati South Indian Kitchen's owner Claire Fisher have joined hands to launch the Thali that contains dishes that use fresh ingredients that were a favourite with Mahatma Gandhi.

As the restaurant's website puts it, priced at 14.50 British pounds, it's "a vegetarian thali inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's research into the ideal diet for the Indian nation. In collaboration with artist Manali Jagtap Nyheim. Served with red rice / dal / moru / rasam / thoran / paneer salad / roti / pickles / poppadoms / chutney / payasam."

Manali told reporters the "Mahatma Gandhi had a passion for food and the Thali contains some of the ideal ingredients identified by him."

Manali, an award winning graphic designer who works in India and the UK, said it was not known for many that Mahatma Gandhi was "passionate about food and spent half his life researching the perfect diet, one that would nourish India's growing population."