Parsi New Year: 5 Parsi dishes to try at home

The food fare at a Parsi household is said to be at its full glory during weddings and Navroz lunch. We spoke to restaurant chefs and home chefs from the community who are dedicatedly promoting lesser-known celebratory food. If you wish to try your hands at some of these dishes, here are five recipes that will make your weekend eats exciting.

Parsi New Year: Dhandar and Lagan No Patio, Bombay Vintage

Recipe designed for Bombay Vintage by Perzen Patel food blogger, Bawi Bride

Dhandar and Lagan No Patio at Bombay Vintage, Colaba by Chef Perzen Patel

Ingredients (Serves 6)

For Dhandar 2 cups raw toor dal 2 teaspoons turmeric powder salt to taste 4-5 cups of water

拉根没有院子

6 fillets of fish—rawas or pomfret Salt to taste 2 tsp each of turmeric and red chilli powder 1 cup of amli (tamarind) 1 cup of jaggery 10 dried sankeshwari chillies (can substitute with dried Kashmiri chillies) 1/2 coconut chopped in chunks 15 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp cumin seeds 30gm chopped cashews 4 small tomatoes chopped

Recipe

For Dhandar

1. Soak the toor dal in water for at least three to four hours. This way the grains will break down effectively and make your dal creamier. 2) Once soaked, drain out all the water. You will note that the raw dal has almost expanded by half its size—this is a good thing! 3) Next, pour the dal into the pressure cooker with about four cups of water. Add turmeric and salt. 4) Cook on high heat until the cooker gives out three whistles and then another ten minutes on low heat. Once the dal is off the heat, you will need to wait a while before opening the cooker. The dal will have soaked up the water. 5) Use a hand blender to make the dal into a paste. And, your simple, fabulous Dhandar is ready.

拉根没有院子

1. Marinate the fillets of fish in salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. 2) Soak imli (tamarind) and jaggery in hot water for two hours. Once thoroughly soaked, drain this mixture making sure you squeeze the pulp dry. Don't throw away the mass of dry imli yet—should you need more imli water, you can once again soak it in hot water for 5 mins and get some water for the patio. 3) Take all the other ingredients and grind into a masala paste adding water as needed to ensure the paste is smooth. 4) Once all these three components are ready, to make the Patio you now need to sauté the masala. 5) Next, add in the strained imli-jaggery water adjusting for taste and ensuring it doesn't become too sour as you go. Also, add a little water to ensure that the Patio is not too thick. Finally, add in the marinated fish along with some fresh curry leaves and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the fish is cooked.

Parsi New Year: Saas Ni Macchi, Trèsind

Recipe by Chef Darais, Chef, Trèsind Mumbai

Saas倪Macchi是联合国ique white Parsi-style fish curry

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 whole pomfret cut into 3 large pieces each 100-120 gm fresh wintergreen garlic 70 ml white vinegar 40 gm ginger paste 40 gm chopped coriander leaves 4 green chilli slit down the middle 35 gm cumin seeds 10 -12 whole cherry tomato 60 gm rice flour 70 ml oil 450 ml water 35 gm sugar Salt to taste

Recipe

1. 在一个平底锅,加入两汤匙of oil. Add fresh winter garlic and green chilli and sauté till soft. 2) Mix the rice flour in a little water and make a slurry. 3) Add the slurry to the sautéed winter garlic and cook it till light brown. Do not let the colour get too deep as it will affect the final colour of the dish. 4) In another pan, temper the ginger paste and whole cumin seeds, and add it to the cooked slurry mixture. 5) Add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Check to season and adjust with more salt if needed. 6) Add the remainder of the water to this mixture and simmer for five to eight minutes allowing it to cook and slightly thicken. 7) Add the fish and cherry tomatoes. Cook till the fish is soft. 8) Add the coriander leaves as a garnish and serve immediately.

Parsi New Year: Mutton Pulao, Delz Kitchen

Recipe by Delzad Avari, Homechef at Delz Kitchen

This pulao can be a hit in any household

Ingredients

1 kg mutton on the bone (cut in cubes)

For the marinade

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp dhana jeera powder 1 tsp garam masala powder 2 tbsp yoghurt Salt to taste 1 tbsp oil

For the masala base

200 gm sliced onions 250 gm finely chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp biriyani masala powder 2 bay leaves 4 green cardamom 3 peppercorns Salt to taste 50 ml oil

For layering

50 ml of oil 150 gm potatoes 400 gm cooked basmati rice Finely chopped mint leaves for layering 2 boiled eggs Saffron—a few strands

For the mini mutton kebabs

100 gm mutton kheema 40 gm boiled potatoes 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp garam masala powder 1/4 tsp haldi powder 1 tsp dhana jeera powder Salt to taste Oil for frying

This dish packs a flavourful punch with it's fragrant rice and succulent meat

Recipe

1. Marinate mutton with salt, ginger garlic paste, haldi, chilli powder, dhana jeera, yoghurt and oil. Cover and leave for 4 hours or overnight. 2) Mix all the ingredients for the mini kebabs together and form into mini balls. 3) Deep fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, or till cooked and keep aside. 4) Fry the onions for the masala in 50 ml of oil. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and cardamom. 5) Once the onions have browned, add tomatoes and biriyani masala powder and cook on low heat. 6) Once the oil starts separating add the mutton to the masala on high heat. 7) Cook the mutton in a pressure cooker for around 40 minutes (without a pressure cooker, cook on simmer for at least 1.5 hours or till cooked). 8) In the biriyani vessel, peel and cut potatoes into quarters and fry in oil till soft. 9) Add one part of the mutton mixture to this. Sprinkle mint and top with half the rice. Repeat with the remaining mutton and rice. 10) Finally, sprinkle saffron water and top with boiled eggs cut in quarters.

Parsi New Year: Jardaloo Marghi, SodaBottleOpnerWala

Recipe by Chef Anahita Dhondy Chef-Partner SodaBottleOpnerWala Mumbai

A must at Parsi weddings, this red curry dish is made with juicy apricots

Ingredients

700 gm onion 500 gm tomato 80 gm oil 3 gm star anise 6-8 pcs of green cardamom 2-3 pcs of cinnamon sticks Salt to taste 90 gm dry apricot jardaloo 500 gm chicken with bone 10 gm kolah vinegar 10 gm jaggery 10 gm fresh coriander 15 gm coriander powder 10 gm cumin powder 5 gm turmeric powder 15 gm Parsi sambhar masala

Recipe

1. In a pan, add the oil and saute' the onions with the whole spices. 2) Add the powdered spices and cook. 3) Add chicken and saute' well. 4) Add tomatoes and cook till they soften. 5) Soak the dried apricot (a few hours before) and add one half-cooked chicken. 6) Add coriander and kolah vinegar. Finish with a pinch of jaggery. Check the salt. 7) Serve hot with pav or roti.

Parsi New Year: Doodh na Puff, Gallops Mumbai

Recipe by Gallops Mumbai

A seasonal dish, this dessert is a rare gem in Parsi cuisine

Ingredients

1 litre of milk 90 gm sugar 2-3 drops of vanilla extract Cardamom powder to taste Pistachio for garnishing

Recipe

1. 开始煮牛奶。2)一旦被boiling for 5 minutes, add sugar till you see bubbles. 3) Leave and cover so it cools down. Store in a porcelain pot overnight with the lid wrapped tightly. 4) Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight. 5) Next morning add vanilla extract. Whisk till it starts frothing. 6) Spoon the froth into a glass and serve immediately.

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