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A new cookbook by Canada based Niloufer Mavalvala titled The Route to Parsi Cooking, from Pars to India and Beyond will be published soon. The writer has shared some recipes from this book, which she says "may be considered the final chapter in my collection of Parsi cookbooks.” She has written these books in "the hope that our ancient food will be preserved and savored for the next century, no matter where we are in the world.” 

   macchi no patiyo, liksa par eedu, sau badam ni curry

SAU BADAM NI CURRY

Serves 6

The 100-almond curry was cooked using a large quantity of almonds that were ground into an almond meal, hence the name sau badam ni curry. This curry can be prepared using chicken or lamb. The key is to perfectly cook your meat of choice and keep the gravy as little or as much as you want before adding the finishing ingredients, which should make it aromatic, sumptuous and rich.

Yes, I counted the almonds before testing it, and I like to call it ék sau ék badam ni curry — 101 almond curry. This is keeping in mind that in our culture we give parikas (monetary gifts) on joyous occasions like weddings, birthdays and navjotes in which we always add one rupee to the amount. This is considered auspicious and, in reference to being "in abundance,” it gives a continuation of giving a little bit more.

You will need 101 almonds only if you double this recipe.

Oil (1 tbsp)

Bay leaf (1 dry)

Chicken (10-12 pieces, skinless but with bone)

Garlic (1 tsp, freshly ground)

Ginger (1 tsp, fresh) 

Red chilli powder (1 ½ tsp)

Cumin powder (1 tsp)

Turmeric (1 tsp)

Coriander powder (¼ tsp)

Salt (1 tsp)

Grind together

Tomatoes (3/4 cup)

Green chillies (4)

Water (2 cups)

Thick yogurt (1 cup, with a pinch

of salt and a pinch of sugar)

Ground almonds (½ cup)

Garam masala (½ tsp) 

Cardamom powder (¼ tsp)

In a pan heat the oil, put in the spices and the chicken, brown for a few minutes on low heat so the spices do not burn but the chicken turns color. Add the tomato and green chilli mixture. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes till the chicken is cooked through.

Take off the lid, turn the heat to high and let all the water evaporate until only one cup of thick gravy remains. Take the pan off the stove and let it cool until just warm. Then add the yogurt mixture. The curry is ready to eat. Reheat gently before serving with your choice of rice or rotlis.   

MACCHI NO PATIYO

Serves 6

This dish needs to be cooked with all the ingredients stewed into a thick pulp and lightly pulverized to look like a sticky stew. The tomatoes and onions are soft, and the patiyo has to be cooked through to ensure that the oil separates — tél per aavaylu. All good Parsi cooking is based on a delicate balance of the meal being spicy, sour and sweet (tikkhu, khattu, mitthu) to your desired palate. Macchi no patiyo is no exception.

Oil (1 tsp)

Salt (1½ tsp)

Crushed ginger (1 tsp)

Crushed garlic (1½ tsp)

Turmeric (1 tsp)

Cumin powder (1½ tsp)

Red chilli powder (1½ tsp)

Green chillies (2)

Tomatoes (750 g)

Unripe mango (1, peeled)

Jaggery (50 g)

Fried onions (1½ cup, crushed)

Fish steaks (1 kg)

In a pan add the oil and lightly fry the spices until fragrant. Finely chop and add the tomatoes, mango and jaggery. Add the fried, crushed onions and the water and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes. Mix well and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the oil separates. Then add the fish and cook for about seven minutes. Serve it with dhan dar and boiled rice.

Tips

This patiyo is typically made with silver pomfret and always with the bone; however, any firm white fish and even salmon can be used. 

Peeling the tomatoes and grinding them completely with the onions is an option. The consistency will be different, which is a personal choice, but just as delicious. 

To fry your own onions, use three medium-sized, finely chopped onions and fry to a golden brown. Drain and discard the oil. 

BEJEWELLED MORASA PALAU 

Serves 6

No dining table in a Parsi home is ever complete without rice. This one is a classic example of everything Persian platters of rice stand for, with the beautiful pop of tart zereshk (barberries), the crunch of pistachios and almonds, the burst of fresh orange and the lavish fragrance of saffron.

Fresh orange juice (1 cup)

Sugar (1 tsp)

Saffron (1/8 tsp, soaked in milk)

Zereshk (60 g)

Candied orange peel or the zest of one orange (1 tbsp)

Rice (2 cups, washed)

Water (3 cups)

Salt (1½ tsp)

Salted brown butter (2 tbsp)

Pistachio (60 g, slivered)

Almonds (60 g, slivered)

In a pan, heat the orange juice and sugar, simmer for a minute, remove from heat and add the saffron which has been mixed with one tablespoon of milk and kept aside for five minutes. Cover the pot and keep for five minutes. Add the zereshk and orange peel or zest to this pot. Set aside for later.

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Boil three cups of water with the salt and add the rice. Cook until almost all the water has evaporated, add the orange juice mixture and the butter. Cover with an airtight lid and steam cook on low heat for 25 minutes. Remove rice onto a platter and serve topped with pistachios and almonds.

Tip

Placing a moist piece of parchment paper on top, touching the rice, helps to steam it well. The Persians have a special cover called the dumkoni designed to fit the pot of rice, sealing it well and keeping it airtight. This looks like a shower cap and is available globally online.

LIKSA PER EEDU (LEEKS AND EGGS)

Serves 6

Although leeks are not frequently used in Parsi cooking, many vegetarian dishes include leelu lasun (green garlic), which is a member of the same family.  

Use only the softer, lighter parts of the leek, but do not discard the rest. It will add tons of flavor to homemade vegetable stock. Saffron and cream make this dish silky and delicious. The garlic enhances the flavor while the spices add a hint of warmth. 

Oil and butter (1 tbsp each)

Leeks (500 g, finely chopped) 

Sugar (¼ tsp)

Garlic (1 clove, crushed) 

Salt (1 tsp)

Nutmeg (¼ tsp, freshly grated) 

Saffron (1/8 tsp, crushed and soaked in milk)

Milk (1 tbsp) 

Cream (1 cup)

Eggs (6, at room temperature)

Cumin powder (½ tsp, optional)

Green chilli (1, finely chopped)

Saute the leeks in a mix of oil and butter, add the sugar and continue to cook until soft and translucent. This will take 30 minutes on medium-low heat. Sprinkle salt and nutmeg. Add the garlic, cumin and green chilli. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Add the saffron milk and pour the cream all over; stir well, continuing to cook until the liquid has coated the leeks. Make six indentations with the back of the spoon to hold the eggs. Place the eggs on top of the piping hot cooked leeks. Cover tightly, lower the heat and cook the eggs until the desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately with crusty bread or fresh, warm rotlis.

Tips

Adding a handful of birista (fried onions) and/or freshly cracked black pepper adds to the color and texture.

In Gujarati one leek is called a lika while leeks are liksa.

KHEEMA NO PALAU (GROUND MEAT BIRYANI)

Serves 12 at a buffet

This is my own recipe and a way of paying tribute to my Persian ancestry. We grew up eating kheema no palau and its fancier version of layered ribbon rice at parties. Even though neither version was created in my mother’s kitchen, I opted to serve it at my Navroz celebration. Meat seasoned with Parsi and Persian spices, served with saffron-infused rice, sumac and zereshk, garnished with herbs. While there are several steps to this recipe, most of them can be completed ahead of time, and it’s ideal for feeding a crowd.

Lamb or beef (1kg, ground)

Whole milk (4 tbsp)

Veal bones (2 large, with marrow in them)

Salt (1 ½ tsp)

Ginger (1 tsp, crushed)

Garlic (1 tsp, crushed)

Turmeric powder (¼ tsp)

Cinnamon powder (1 tsp)

Cinnamon stick (1)

Advieh (mixed Persian spices) powder (1 tsp)

Brown sugar (a pinch)

Tomato paste (2 tbsp)

Limes or lemons (juice of 2)

Onions (500 g fried and crushed)

Meat broth (4 cups)

Rice (4 cups)

Chicken stock (8 cups)

Saffron (½ tsp, crushed and infused in hot water)

Butter (125 g, salted and melted)

Zereshk (1 cup, washed)

Sumac powder (1 tsp)

Dill (1 cup, washed and chopped)

Sauté the ground meat in a pan until it is brown and dry-looking. Once caramelized, continue to add a little milk to moisten; the milk will be quickly absorbed. After about 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, add the veal or lamb bones for additional flavor. Continue to cook to deepen the color and caramelize it.

Season with salt, stir in the ginger and garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and advieh powders, sugar and browned onions. Mix thoroughly before adding the stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Squeeze the lemons over the meat and mix to combine. The liquid should have evaporated, leaving moist, soft meat. Allow it to cool while preparing the rice.

Wash the rice and cook it in stock. Turn the cooked rice immediately onto a flat platter and carefully fold in the saffron-infused melted butter and zereshk. Sprinkle sumac and fresh dill and toss it lightly. Take a third of the rice, combine it with the meat and return to the pot. Top up with the rest of the rice. Cover tightly and steam for 30 minutes in a bain-marie (water bath).

Serve warm with yogurt mixed with cucumber and fresh mint, as well as a pinch of salt and sugar which is similar to the Persian Maast-o-khiar, which uses dried mint instead.

Tips

Mixing in the meat with your hands will prevent the rice from breaking.

Parsley and mint are fine substitutes for the dill and coriander.

PLUM JAM

Makes 1½ kg of jam

Best prepared with the deep, rich, garnet colored, fragrant plums that have a thinner skin and a flavor few other plums can match. Allow the fruit to be slightly overripe and soft before preparing the jam. 

Fresh plums (1.2 kg)

Sugar (550 g)

Lemon or lime (juice of one)

Salt (¼ tsp)

Wash the plums well. Place a pot and add cold water half-way to level of the plums. Bring it to a boil, cover and allow it to cook on a medium flame for about 45 minutes. Turn off the stove, wait for 10 minutes and add the sugar. Mix properly until all the sugar melts. The heat will melt it without the use of the stove. Add the lemon juice and salt. Mix well, return to the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Cook uncovered until the desired consistency. It generally takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Fill sterilized jars with the jam and allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to a year.

Tips

Keep the plums whole with the skin. The boiling process cooks and softens them enough to break with the back of a spoon. You can remove the stones at the end of the process or leave them all in one of the bottles.

My family used to add two tablespoons of good quality, salted butter to the mix to enhance the flavors. But it will make the jam cloudy! 

I often add ¼ cup of a Japanese plum wine available locally or gin.