Thanks to the few restaurants in Delhi that
specialise in Parsi fare, we are familiar with some integral dishes of this
cuisine. But like any culture, there is always so much more to learn. And one
of the best parts of being invited by the host hotel for a food festival is
that the visiting chef spends time, patiently answers questions and shares
details of dishes, even though the board of rules says “no asking recipe”!
Chef
Parvez Patel, owner and chef of Ideal Corner, Mumbai is in Delhi to showcase
authentic Parsi fare at a food festival at ITC Maurya’s, The Pavilion. Apart from being home to some of the finest
restaurants in the country, ITC Maurya
regularly hosts food festivals featuring regional cuisines of India under its
brand Kitchens of India. This festival coincides with two major
exhibitions in Delhi on Zoroastrianism and Parsi history and culture: The
Everlasting Flame at the National
Museum and Threads of Continuity at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
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| Chef Parvez Patel, owner and chef, Ideal Corner, Mumbai, showcasing authentic Parsi cuisine at The Pavilion. |
Culture
and Cuisine
Traditionally, Zoroastrians came from
Persia and settled in coastal towns of Gujarat. Hence, the primarily Persian
fare got the sweet touch from Gujarati cuisine and an introduction to vinegar
from coastal Maharashtra, among other local influences. We start our meal with
a dish that retains its Persian roots but is called Bharuchi Akuri, named after a city, Bharuch in Gujarat. Akuri is a
soft scrambled egg cooked with spices and vegetables varying from tomato and
onion to okra. This version is cooked with cream, cashews and raisins. I have
never tried something like this but take an instant liking to this simple dish.
The dried fruit is fried till its quite dark before the egg is broken and the
addition of cream keeps the eggs soft and juicy.
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| L: Bharuchi Akuri R: Parsi Tea |
Chef Speak
“You will find a lemongrass plant in almost every Parsi household,” says Chef Parvez. He explains that lemongrass is an essential ingredient in Parsi tea, which is milk tea flavoured with mint and lemongrass. According to Chef Parvez, the three essentials of traditional Parsi food are river water, unrefined groundnut oil and wood fire. Since all these are not always easily available, some ingredients have been flown in from Mumbai to maintain authenticity of the dishes served at the current food festival. The thin Elephant brand vermicelli, sago wafers and natural sugarcane malt vinegar have been brought along with Parsi masalas and pickle. The dhansak masala is sourced from a Parsi family in Nagpur; it is a combination of fourteen unadulterated spices in fourteen proportions. This dhansak offers a smooth texture, complex flavour, and a mild kick of chilli that complements the caramelized rice that it is eaten with. The pickle has been sourced from Kolah’s in Navsari, Gujarat. Essentially comprising carrots and dried fruits, not only does it whet the appetite when accompanied with the crisp sago wafers, it also complements most dishes on the menu.
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| Starters Clockwise from Top Left: Sago wafers, mixed fruit pickle, Gosht na Kabab, Raspberry soda. |
Menu for the Festival
The extensive choice of vegetarian dishes
includes Papdi, flat beans cooked
with ajwain; the self explanatory Khatta
Meetha Masoor Daal; Dudhi Chana Dal,
or chana dal cooked with bottle gourd, Tarkari
ni Dhansak Daar, or vegetarian dhansak – lentils cooked with pumpkin and
brinjal. The dals are delicious and the veg dhansak is almost as tasty as its
mutton counterpart, sans the tender mutton pieces. For non-vegetarians, there’s
also the Parsi essential Salli Murgh,
or chicken curry cooked with Parsi spices and served with potato crisps, and Patra ni Machhi. Simply put, it is fish
steamed in banana leaves, but the thick green marinade paste is made of fresh coriander, garlic, jeera, jaggery, tamarind and malt vinegar and the
water used for steaming has oil, curry leaves, cloves and vinegar, all lending
the fish a wonderful medley of flavours and aromas.
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| Mains Top L-R: Mutton Dhansak; Caramelised rice Middle L-R: Patrani Machhi; Salli Murgh Bottom L-R: Dooshi Chana Dal; Papdi |
The Parsi dishes are part of The Pavilion’s buffet that features a vast choice of salads, Indian, Continental and Chinese dishes and an equally
long list of desserts. But I am happy to stick to the authentic Parsi fare on
this occasion, even for the desserts. The creamy Lagan nu Custard, a luscious and mildly sweet Rawa kheer and ghee roasted Sev
are enough to satisfy any sweet cravings after this hearty meal. And finally, the
minty tea that washes it all down.
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| Desserts Left: Lagan nu Custard Right Top: Rawa kheer Right Bottom: Sev |
Details
The
Pavilion, ITC Maurya, Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi.
Timings: 20-29 May, 2016; Dinner
Buffet only. 7pm
–11.30pm.
Tel: 011 46215152/2611 2233.
Prices: Rs 2650 + taxes per person; Rs 2850 +
taxes per person inclusive of 375ml bottle of select beverage.
