"The lagan nu custard was made from my own recipe. The sali margi had some kaju (cashew nuts) and khuskhus (poppy seeds) added so that it does not turn into tamatar ni margi (chicken in tomato sauce),” narrated 91-year-old Perin Dittia. The sprightly granny was assisted in the mixing of spices, instructing chefs and interaction with media by Khorshed Chenai, Zarine Pestonjee, Zarin Pestonji, Havovi Patel, Shireen Sethna Baria, Pinky Katrak and Perviz Bhote, as part of the Parsi Food Festival hosted by the ITC Kohenur in Hyderabad from March 21 to 24, 2019 to celebrate Jamshedi Navroz. Dittia provided the recipes.
Top: Delicacies from Hyderabad’s Parsi Food Festival; above, from l: Zarine Pestonjee, Khorshed Chenai,
Perin Dittia, Zarin Pestonji, Shireen Sethna Baria, Havovi Patel; Perin (seated) with Mahir Dittia
Titled "Granny Sathe Jamvanu (Eating with Granny),” the Festival saw about 400 guests sampling the four varied menus created by Dittia. "The marghi na farcha were twice-fried so that they remain crisp on the outside and succulent and juicy on the inside,” noted Dittia, whose grandson Mahir Dittia is the manager guest food and beverage services at the hotel. The menus included patra ni machi, papeta par eeda, dhansak ni dar, kolmi no patio, pulao and traditional sweets like mava na khaja, sev, ravo and falooda.
Bhote was appreciative of the special touches the ITC chefs added to Perin’s recipes: "The lagan nu custard turned out creamy and yummy with the chefs giving a five star touch to it with syrup of cinnamon and garnished with edible flowers.” For Patel, the high note was wearing a chef’s cap with her gara. "We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, interacting with the chefs, posing for the photo shoot and bonding over cold coffee and sandwiches,” she noted. Sethna Baria said she enjoyed dressing up and attending the photo shoot, media event and press conference.
Durban-born Perin has contributed several recipes for the cookbook brought out by the Zoroastrian Stree Mandal of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad (see "Gastronomic delight,” Books, Parsiana, January 2003). Her culinary skills were honed when with her IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer husband Bejan, she travelled to and lived in many small towns. "In many places food was cooked on wooden stoves and ovens were just boxes used on charcoal,” she recalled.