Parsi Cuisine

The Parsi were originally from Persia. Which is now Iran and they love food and spend hours cooking up feasts . The influence of their old home Iran and the influence of Gujarat where they landed to escape religious persecution is reflected in their cuisine.

Parsi cuisine has influences from Iran, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Iranian influence is seen in the meat and chicken dishes cooked with vegetables. Bhakras (a type of fried scone) and sadhnas (steamed rice pancakes), both made with toddy are other typical Parsi dishes. The Parsi cuisine is deliciously spiced and one of the speciality is "Dhansak", a mutton, lentil and vegetable potpourri served with brown rice consumed with a pint of lager. Some other dishes are "Koimino patio" - a sweet and sour prawn curry, "Dhandal patio" - fish curry served with rice and lentils.

Other popular Parsi dishes include the Chicken Farcha (fried chicken), Patra ni machhi (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaf), Sali murghi (spicy chicken with potato crisps), Sali Boti (a lamb preparation) and many more.

The common delicious desserts (vasanu, literally "sweet dish") include sev (vermicelli), ravo (semolina). Also popular are faluda and kulfi, both of which are adoptions from the cuisines of the Irani and Urdu speaking communities.