The idea is not to come anywhere near Berjis Desai’s piece "Muttony gluttony” (Parsiana, January 7-20, 2021) about the Navsari style of cooking, or to compete with the knowhow of master chefs like the late Dr Katy Dalal and her equally illustrious son Dr Kurush, but to bring out the funny side of some dishes relished by bawajis.
Of course, pride of place goes to dhansak, a dish synonymous with Parsis. Equally famous is the kolmi (prawns) patio, so much so that a multi-dialect rhyme goes: "I am an educated sethia (aristocrat), but I like maza (my) kolmi-cha-patia.”
Among the other sea food items Parsis enjoy are boomla no patio and fried boomla. I have heard the following humorous incident from my elders. A Parsi agent in Bombay received a request from a colleague in a far off interior region to send him 300 Bombay ducks. The gentleman was perplexed: from where could he collect 300 birds (ducks)? Even if he succeeded in getting them from Crawford Market, he would have to book an entire wagon of a goods train to transport them! His dilemma was resolved by a friend who explained that the request was not for birds but for the dried fish, boomla.
How the marine creature became a duck is another story. A separate train bogie was required to be reserved to transport the smelly fish. The wagon was called Bombay dak, meaning the post from Bombay. In course of time dak became duck.
Parsis do not believe in wasting any part of a slaughtered goat. Offal: kidneys, lungs, liver, spleen, go into making khurchan; hooves provide khariyas (trotters); even the testicles of the goat are a delicacy.
Lagan nu custard is a must at navjote and wedding dinners.
So, bon appétit! Enjoy delicious Parsi dishes.
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