Learn one Chinese Character a day - 盘 | 盤

Now we are fully prepared for reasoning the meaning of 盤 - a 皿 used to carry or move stuffs around. 

Its Simplified version 盘 uses 舟 instead of 般 comparing to its Traditional version 盤. Thus 盘 actually lost the correct context for its proper meaning. 

And it should be understandable that 盘 | 盤 is usually shallow and flat to make it easier to carry foods or other kitchenwares around. A typical 盘 is shown below:

盘 | 盤

And Some other 盘 | 盤 which is used to carry foods:

盘 | 盤

And we can confirm our observation from its evolution history: (image taken from http://vividict.com/)

Learn one Chinese Character a day - 盘 | 盤

Its Bronze Script   is exactly composed of (which is 般) and (which is 皿).

Based on its original meaning, Chinese ancestors started to extend it to include more meanings.

盘 | 盤 is extended to refer to anything shallow and flat which is used to hold something else, like chess board - 棋盘.

盘 | 盤 is then used as a Chinese Classifier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_classifier) to describe number of dishes: 一盘菜, or anything else on a 盘 | 盤, like 一盘棋.

盘 | 盤 naturally has the meaning of 般, so 盘 | 盤 contains meaning of move. And from the meaning of move, 盘 | 盤 is extended to contain the meaning of "Count or Verify in details (by moving items one by one)"

While a person sits like following picture by crossing his legs, it is kind of forming a 盘 | 盤 to hold himself. So 盘 | 盤 eventually contains the meaning of "to cross or to wind"

盘膝而坐

That is pretty much all for the character 盘 | 盤. It is now time for us to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 盘 | 盤 inside:

严寒(识)盘松