In her book An Invitation to Feast: A deep dive into India’s culinary traditions, Sona Bahadur explores the many regional styles of Indian cooking, including a chapter on dhansak. With vivid examples, she delves into culinary traditions and the emotions food evokes. Writing with the eye of a reporter and the heart of a foodie, Bahadur travels across communities to uncover how everyday meals preserve cultural roots. Each chapter features a mouth-watering dish that reflects the diversity of India’s food landscape. The 255-page book was published in 2025 by Aleph Book Company, an independent publishing firm promoted by Rupa Publications India, and is priced at Rs 899.
Top: Sona Bahadur; above: dhansak (l) and book cover
In the chapter "Dhansak — An Invitation to Gluttony,” Bahadur focuses on Parsi cuisine, centering her narrative on its most iconic dish, dhansak. She samples versions ranging from the recipe of the renowned spice-maker of Bora Bazar Street, Keki Umrigar, to the weekly mutton dhansak served at Bombay’s Ripon Club on Wednesdays, to the crowd-puller at Colaba’s iconic but now defunct restaurant Paradise where it was served on Wednesdays and Saturdays, to celebrity chef Viraf Patel’s reimagined take on dhansak featuring a nine-bean-and-lentil stew with lamb shanks. Bahadur’s description of her first taste of dhansak at Parsi Dairy Farm’s Jeroo Nariman’s home reads: "The mutton dhansak arrived along with its cavalcade of caramelized white rice, golden prawn kavabs, and crunchy kachumber or salad of finely diced onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. The spicy dal, with large chunks of meat, had so many parts that it felt more like a production than a dish to me.”
What Bahadur discovered is that no two dhansaks are ever quite the same. She describes the dish as a "jigsaw puzzle of spices.” Each cook leaves a personal stamp — some use pumpkin and carrots, others prefer a grainier consistency, and some prepare the lentils and meat with a lighter touch. Each version enhances the dish, enriching its flavor without compromising its identity.
There is a somber association as well: mutton dhansak is eaten on the fourth day after a near relative’s death, which is why the dish is never served at Parsi weddings, navjotes, birthdays or Jamshedi Navroz and the New Year.
Ultimately, dhansak is more than just food — it is heritage on a plate. It reflects personal style while anchoring itself in the collective memory of the Parsi community. It brings people together not in spite of their differences, but because of them. Ariyanne Panthaki