Going beyond dhansak
If you go to the right places, you’ll find that there’s more to Parsi food than dhansak and papeta par eedu (eggs). You can start with food served by Aban Pardiwalla. The 56-tear-old Pedder Road resident began supplying traditional Parsi food to those who ached for the ‘real’ kolmina kebabs and sali chicken, but couldn’t quite get it right in their own kitchens. “I love how ‘good’ Parsi food stays away from fusion. If you want to get a Parsi recipe right, don’t tinker with your grandmother’s handwritten cookbooks.”
In the Parsi cuisine, the rich flavours of the Persian cuisine are set off by the simple methods of Gujarati cooking. The result is a well-balanced, slightly spicy and sometimes sweet and sour taste in the food. According to food writer Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal Parsi cuisine has adapted itself to local tastes. “The hirvi chutney used in patra ni machhi is typically Maharashtrian. Sas ni machhi (fish in white sauce) is distinctly British.”
Salli chicken
Ingredients: 800g chicken, salt and freshly milled pepper, 1tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric powder, 1tsp curry powder, 1tsp ginger paste, 2tsp garlic paste, 3tbsp oil, 2 bay leaves, 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 onions chopped, 2 tsp red chilly paste, 2tsp coriander powder, 3 large tomatoes finely chopped or grated, 2 cups deep fried potato straws, finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish
Preparation: Apply the salt, pepper, red chilly powder, turmeric, half the curry powder, ginger and garlic pastes to the chicken pieces. Marinate for 2hr. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the bay leaves and cumin seeds. Fry till the cumin seeds crackle. Add the onions and fry till the onions are golden brown. Add the red chilly paste, remaining ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for about 2min. Add coriander powder and remaining curry powder. Add the tomatoes and fry till a thick gravy is formed. Add the chicken and salt to taste. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat till chicken is well cooked and the gravy is thick. Garnish with potato straws (salli) before serving.
- Kareena N Gianani
If you go to the right places, you’ll find that there’s more to Parsi food than dhansak and papeta par eedu (eggs). You can start with food served by Aban Pardiwalla. The 56-tear-old Pedder Road resident began supplying traditional Parsi food to those who ached for the ‘real’ kolmina kebabs and sali chicken, but couldn’t quite get it right in their own kitchens. “I love how ‘good’ Parsi food stays away from fusion. If you want to get a Parsi recipe right, don’t tinker with your grandmother’s handwritten cookbooks.”
In the Parsi cuisine, the rich flavours of the Persian cuisine are set off by the simple methods of Gujarati cooking. The result is a well-balanced, slightly spicy and sometimes sweet and sour taste in the food. According to food writer Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal Parsi cuisine has adapted itself to local tastes. “The hirvi chutney used in patra ni machhi is typically Maharashtrian. Sas ni machhi (fish in white sauce) is distinctly British.”
Salli chicken
Ingredients: 800g chicken, salt and freshly milled pepper, 1tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric powder, 1tsp curry powder, 1tsp ginger paste, 2tsp garlic paste, 3tbsp oil, 2 bay leaves, 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 onions chopped, 2 tsp red chilly paste, 2tsp coriander powder, 3 large tomatoes finely chopped or grated, 2 cups deep fried potato straws, finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish
Preparation: Apply the salt, pepper, red chilly powder, turmeric, half the curry powder, ginger and garlic pastes to the chicken pieces. Marinate for 2hr. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the bay leaves and cumin seeds. Fry till the cumin seeds crackle. Add the onions and fry till the onions are golden brown. Add the red chilly paste, remaining ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for about 2min. Add coriander powder and remaining curry powder. Add the tomatoes and fry till a thick gravy is formed. Add the chicken and salt to taste. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat till chicken is well cooked and the gravy is thick. Garnish with potato straws (salli) before serving.
- Kareena N Gianani
No comments:
Post a Comment