5 Best Parsi Dishes To Eat This Navroze In Mumbai
Celebrate Parsi New Year at these restaurants!
15 Mar, 2020 by Roxanne Bamboat
Parsi cuisine has gained tremendous popularity in the last couple of years. Restaurants have started to embrace this regional cuisine and especially in Mumbai, more restaurants are open to adding Parsi based dishes on their menus. If you are not familiar with Parsi food then this Navroze, try and find these top 5 Parsi dishes in Mumbai to get a better understanding of the cuisine.
Salli Murghi (Chicken) - There are all sorts of chicken preparations in the repertoire of Parsi cuisine but this is the most famous one. It is like a chicken curry of sorts that is served with thin crispy fried potato sticks called Salli. It is sometimes called Jardaloo Chicken and also served with Salli but in that case, there is an addition of apricots to give the spice a sweet balance. SodaBottleOpenerWala has a fair bit of Parsi dishes on the menu and this is a great pick.
Patra Ni Macchi - Fish is an integral ingredient when it comes to Parsi cuisine, and is prepared a number of ways. One of the most popular dishes is a Patra ni Macchi, where Patra means leaf and Macchi means fish. It is steamed fished that coated with a spicy fragrant green chutney and wrapped in a banana leaf. You peel away the leaf once cooked and indulge in that soft flaked steamed fish that soaks up all the flavour of the chutney. It is easily found in most restaurants but you will find a superb version of this dish at Roshan Bakery.
Mutton Pulao Dal / Mutton Dhansak - Dhansak is by far the most popular dish and it is a heavy dal cooked with various lentils and vegetables along with chunks of mutton and served with brown caramelised rice. Traditionally, it is a dish that is eaten on Sunday or during mourning, so a strict no no during any festive meal or celebration. Instead, you will see a Mutton or Chicken Pulao Dal which is essentially the exact same Dal as the Dhansak just devoid of any meat, served with a light pulao rice and sometimes mutton kebabs or mutton pieces in the rice. So, it is not a Dhansak but the flavours come pretty close. Jimmy Boy makes a mean Mutton Dhansak which you can relish any time of the week.
Akuri - The Parsi/Irani community loves their eggs. While the world eats it for breakfast they can eat it for every meal. A special egg preparation that is full of spice and flavour is the Parsi Akuri. It is a version of scrambled egg cooked with tomatoes, onions, spices and coriander and while similar to an egg bhurji, it is different in texture. It is hard to find a good Akuri as most places end up giving you a version of Bhurji but to sample a great one, head to Gallops and try their Aflatoon's Akuri.
Lagan Nu Custard - You can't end a meal with a little sweet treat. While there is a Caramel Custard, the Parsi community has a special custard that is prepared for weddings and celebrations called the Lagan nu Custard. Lagan meaning wedding as it is reserved only for a festive occasion. This is also baked but it has got a different consistency and texture unlike the wobbly caramel custard and it is heavily garnished with nuts and dried fruits to add a certain richness. Most Parsi restaurants will serve this treat but all month long The Sassy Spoon is serving a fabulous version as part of their Navroze special menu.
Read more: 5 Best Navroze/Parsi New Year Menus And Where To Eat Them In Mumbai, 5 Best Restaurants to Enjoy a High Tea in Mumbai
Written By
Better known as the Tiny Taster, Roxanne is an internationally respected blogger and expert on the Mumbai food scene. She has hosted many events, including the Upper Crust Food & Wine Show and travels the world, sharing her knowledge and gaining more experience.
