Parsi Omlette
Ingredients:
1 egg
2 teaspoons very finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons very finely chopped coriander
1 green chilli, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted ghee.
Method
Heat oil or ghee in a 15 cm (6 inch) frying pan.
Seperate egg and beat egg white till soft peaks form.
Add egg yolk and continue beating till well blended.
Add onion, coriander, chilli and salt and blend well.
Pour mixture into medium hot oil or ghee and cover and cook on medium heat till lower
layer of omelette is nicely browned.
Turn omelette over carefully and cook other side, uncovered , till it is also brown.
Make separately, as many omelettes as desired.
Akoori - Parsi breakfast of eggs
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
2 green chilies, finely chopped (as required)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ghee.
Method
Heat oil or ghee and fry onion in it till soft but not brown. remove excess oil.
Add coriander, chillies and tomato and blend well. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove pan from
fire.
Break eggs into a bowl and beat a few strokes till whites and yolks are well blended.
Add to onion mixture and mix well.
Add salt.
return pan to fire and cook slowly stirring all the time mixture is consistency of soft
scrambled eggs.
Serves 2 to 3 .
Spinach with Eggs - Spinach Egg Pancake
Ingredients:
2 lbs. spinach leaves washed and cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 desertspoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 cloves garlic (1/2 teaspoon)
1 or 2 green chillies minced
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root
pinch of sugar
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tbsp. melted ghee
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
2 eggs
Method
In a pan heat oil or ghee and fry onion in it till pale yellow.
Add chilli and fry. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander and cook 3 minutes
more.
Add spinach, blend well, add salt then cover and cook on slow fire 10 minutes. Add
Worcestershire sauce and sugar and continue cooking on slow fire a few minutes more till
spinach is cooked.
Separate eggs and beat whites of eggs till soft peaks form. Add yolks and blend. Put
spinach in an 8 inch pie plate, spread beaten eggs over surface of spinach and bake in
moderate oven till eggs are set and golden.
Serve at once.Tamotar Uper Andoo - Eggs on Tomato
Baked eggs on tomato makes a substantial and decorative first course to a meal.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg tomatoes
1 onion, finely sliced
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cm piece fresh ginger root minced
1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp. ghee.
Method
Boil tomatoes in 2 cups water a few minutes till tomatoes are slightly soft. Remove, cool,
then peel them and chop them roughly.
In a frying pan, heat the oil or ghee, then fry 1 finely sliced onion in it till golden.
Add garlic and ginger to fried onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, cilantro and chopped onion and mix well. Cook for 2
minutes.
Add tomato pulp and salt and cook, uncovered, till mixture is almost dry.
Add vinegar and sugar and continue cooking till liquid has almost dry.
Put tomato mixture into a pie plate and with the back of a spoon make 4 evenly spaced out
dents in the mixture.
Break an egg into each dent, place in medium hot oven and bake till eggs are set.
Serves 4.
Dhansak(Sunday Lunch)
Dhansak consists of several types of lentils cooked with meat and vegetables and served
with fried brown rice and kababs.
Ingredients:
Dal (lentils)
1/2 kg breast or leg of lamb cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium onions, finely sliced
Make following Paste or use 2 teaspoons each of readymade Dhansak and Sambhar Masala with
6 garlic cloves.
6 garlic cloves
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root.
8 dry red chilies
1 desert spoon cumin seeds
1 desert spoon coriander seeds
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 cardamoms, peeled
4 black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons dhana jeera powder (available in readymade pouches.
1/3 cup toover dal
1/3 cup moong dal
1/3 cup masoor dal
# or 1 cup toover dal (yellow lentil)
1 medium brinjal (egg plant) cut into 4 pieces)
100 gms piece of red pumpkin cut into 4 pieces
A few sprigs small leaved methi bhaji (spinach) optional.
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp or 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate.
1 tablespoon grated jaggery
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted ghee.
Method
Heat oil or ghee in a deep pan and fry onion in it till brown.
Add masala paste, tumeric powder and dhana jeera powder and cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
Add meat and cook till water from meat has dried.
Add the 3 dals, brinjal, methi bhaji and mix well
Gradually add 6 cups water and salt bring to boiling point. Cover and cook on a slow fire
till meat is tender. Remove pan from fire.
Soak tamarind pulp in 1/3 cup boiling water for 15 minutes, then strain liquid through a
sieve pressing down hard on the tamarind pulp to extract all its juices. Discard the pulp.
Remove meat from the dal and keep aside.
Mash dal through a colander into another pan then return meat to dal.
Add tamarind juice and jaggery to meat and dal and cook on slow fire for 10 minutes adding
extra water if dal is too thick.
Before serving sprinkle over dal 1 finely sliced onion, fried brown, and 1/2 desert spoon
finely chopped fresh coriander.
Serve with Fried Brown Rice (2 cups) and kababs accompanied by kuchumbar and lemon slices.
Serves 6.
Kababs
Ingredients:
1/2 minced mutton
2 medium onions, minced with meat or chopped fine.
6 garlic cloves (grind with ginger root)
2 cm piece of ginger root (grind with garlic cloves.
2/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 to 4 finely chopped green chilies
2 dessertspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 medium sliced bread
1 egg
1 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Vegetable oil or ghee for frying.
Method
Soak bread in water for 10 minutes, remove from water and squeeze dry.
Mix together all Ingredients, except bread crumbs, and oil. Cover and keep for 1 hour.
Divide mixture into 18 small balls and roll each ball in crumbs till lightly coated all
over.
In a "kurhai" or deep frying pan pour enough oil or ghee for deep frying and
heat to medium hot.
Gently fry the kababs in it till nicely browned.
Serve by placing over the rice in serving platter.
Fried Brown Rice
Ingredients:
2 cups rice
2 onions, finely sliced
4 teaspoon sugar
2 pieces cinnamon sticks of 5 cm (2 inches) each
6 cloves
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted ghee
Method
Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour.
Heat oil or ghee in a pan and fry onion in it till brown. Remove pan from fire and drain
excess oil.
Put sugar in a small pan and brown it over fire till it is very dark brown.
Place pan with fried onion back on fire, drain water from rice and add to onion. Cook,
stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or more till rice is nicely fried.
Add caramel water and cook 4 or 5 minutes till rice is well blended.
Add cinnamon stick, cloves, salt and 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil, then cover, lower
flame and continue cooking till water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
Sprinkle some fried onion over rice before serving.
Patra-ni-Machi- Fish in Banana Leaf A traditional dish at wedding dinners. Slices of fish
coated with green chutney, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. (Foil can be used instead
of the banana leaves)
Ingredients:
2 large Pomfrets weighing together 900 gms.
2 teaspoons salt
10 green chilies
1 teaspoons cumin seeds
6 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Banana leaves or Foil
Method
Remove head of fish if desired and cut each fish into 6 slices.
Cut large enough portions of banana leaves or foil to wrap each slice of fish. Hold each
piece of banana leaf over a flame a few seconds to soften leaf and center rib. Grease one
side of each portion of leaf or foil.
Using about 1.5 teaspoons salt per fish, rub salt into each slice of fish.
Coat each slice of fish with chutney.
Lay a slice of fish on the greased side of piece of banana leaf or foil and roll it up.
Tie with thread. Do the same with other slices of fish and steam or bake for 30 minutes or
till fish is cooked.
Chicken Farcha Pieces of chicken marinated in a gently flavoured masala paste, dipped in
crumbs and beaten eggs and fried.
Ingredients:
1 tender, medium chicken cut into 8 pieces
6 cloves garlic . Grind to masala paste.
3 cm piece of fresh ginger root
4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander
5 to 10 green chilies.
1 teaspoons cumin seeds.
1 small onion, cut into 2 pieces.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce.
1 tablespoon salt
1 desertspoon olive or salad oil.
1 slightly heaped teaspoon flour
½ cup dry breadcrumbs.
2 eggs
Vegetable oil or ghee for frying.
Method
Remove sections of bones from breast pieces of chicken.
With a sharp knife and with quick strong strokes cut into the flesh of each piece of
chicken. The Flesh should be slightly broken up but not cut right through.
Mix Worcestershire Sauce, salad oil, salt and flour into masala paste.
Coat each piece of chicken with the masala paste and allow chicken marinate 8 to 9 hours.
( If chicken is not very tender boil it before applying masala paste.)
Pour oil or ghee in a deep frying pan upto a depth of 3 cm. And heat to medium hot.
While oil is heating, separate the eggs. Beat egg whites till frothy, then blend in egg
yolks.
Coat each piece of chicken with bread crumbs, dip in beaten eggs and fry on a slow fire.
Turn when one side is cooked and continue cooking till chicken is tender.
Sas-ni-Machi - Fish in Red Sauce - Fillets of
fish baked in a spicy red sauce.
Ingredients:
½ kg fillets of Pomfret or other white fleshy fish.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted ghee.
2 onions finely sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
¼ kg tomatoes, chopped small
2 or 3 fresh chillies, slit and seeded
3 dry red chillies. Grind masala to a paste.
1 teaspoons cumin seeds. Grind masala to a paste.
6 cloves garlic. Grind masala to a paste.
11/2 desertspoons flour.
1 to 2 teaspoons salt or as per taste.
1 desertspoons Worcestershire Sauce.
1 table spoons vinegar.
1 desertspoons sugar.
3 eggs.
Method
In 3 tablespoons oil or ghee fry onion till brown. Drain excess oil.
Add ground masala and stir to blend masala and onions well. Cook for 5 minutes over slow
fire fire adding a tablespoons of water if mixture tends to stick to bottom of pan.
Add coriander, tomatoes and green chilies and cook for 2 minutes.
Add flour, mixing constantly till mixture is smooth and well blended.
Add 1 cup water and let mixture simmer, covered, till fish is cooked.
Add fish fillets and salt and simmer, covered, till fish is cooked.
All mixture to cool, then add mixture of Worcestershire Sauce, Vinegar, Sugar and Eggs.
Blend well, do not stir with spoon as fish might break up but tilt pan by hand in a
circular movement, to let mixture flow evenly into sauce.
Pour into oven-proof dish and bake 30 to 40 minutes until sauce is stiff and nicely
browned on top.
Kolmino Patio Prawn Patio) Popular Parsi Dish
Ingredients:
1 cup shelled and cleaned prawns (shrimps)
9 cloves garlic (1 teaspoon)
4 dry red chillies
1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (Grind no. 2, 3, 4 and 5 to paste)
1 onion, finely sliced
3 onions, chopped
1 1/2 desertspoon finely chopped fresh coriander
1/3 cup tamarind juice or 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, or 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon grated gaggery
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted ghee
Method
In a pan heat oil or ghee, add 1 sliced onion and fry till golden brown.
dd masala paste and cook for 5 minutes till well done.
Add prawns and stir till well mixed with onion mixture.
Add chopped onion, coriander and salt and stir well.
Add 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer, allowing prawns to cook in onion juice.
When prawns are cooked add tamarind and cook a few minutes longer till gaggery has melted.
Serve as an individual dish, sprinkled with some chopped fresh coriander or as an
accompaniment to white rice and dal.
Patra Ni Maachi Fish in Banana leaves
Makes 8 portions
Ingredients:
8 large slices of pomfret, cleaned
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Banana leaves, lightly oiled on one side.
For the green herbal chutney:
1 tbsp. ginger - garlic paste
4 cups coriander leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp. amchoor or lemon juice or tamarind pulp
½ cup mint leaves
1 tsp. vinegar
Salt and sugar to taste
Method:
Marinate fish with turmeric, chilli powder and salt for an hour. Grind all chutney
ingredients to a paste. Apply chutney generously to each slice of fish. Wrap in a small
piece of banana leaf and secure with string. Steam these packets till fish is done.
Fish in Spicy White Sauce
Ingredients:
450 gms Promfret or Salmon cut 2 cm thick slices.
2 medium onions, finely sliced.
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander.
3 green chilies, finely chopped.
1 green chilly, slit.
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, slightly pounded, or cumin seed powder.
2 dessertspoons flour
2 1/4 teaspoon salt.
6 cherry tomatoes
2 cups water
Blend together in a bowl (4 items below)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee.
Method
In a pan heat oil or ghee and fry onion till soft yellow (not brown). Drain excess oil.
Add coriander, chopped green chilies, slit green chilly, garlic and cumin seeds. Blend
well and cook on slow fire for 5 minutes.
Add flour and blend to a smooth paste, then add water gradually and mix well. Bring
mixture to the boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, on slow fire for 10 to 15
minutes.
Add slices of fish, tomatoes and 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue cooking till fish is
cooked.
Let fish cool then add mixture of vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and egg. Tilt pan
to allow mixture to flow evenly over fish. Place pan again on fire and cook for 5 minutes
before serving.
Chicken Farcha Appetizer
Ingredients:
6 large chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. garam masala powder
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
6 eggs beaten
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Method:
Mix chicken with all ingredients except breadcrumbs, eggs and oil. Reserve for an hour.
Steam cook till meat is just cooked but not soft. Roll each piece in breadcrumbs. Then dip
in beaten eggs and deep fry in hot oil till crisp and done.
Sali Boti
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 lbs./1 kg mutton, cubed
5 onions ground to a paste
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 cup tomato puree
½ cup yogurt
1 ½ tsps. chilli powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garam masala powder
2 tsps. Sugar
1/2 cup 200 gms potato straws (sali)
Oil as needed
Salt to taste
Method:
Marinate meat in all ingredients except oil and sali. Leave for an hour. Heat one cup oil
in a pressure cooker and add meat. Stir fry till brown. Add 2 cups water and pressure cook
till done. Turn out and serve covered with potato straws.
Vegetable Stew -This Parsi stew is spicy, sweet and sour
vegetable stew is also called “Laganshala” as it is often included in wedding
lunches and dinners.
Ingredients:
1lb. / ½ kg sweet potatoes.
1lb. / ¼ kg potatoes.
1/2 lb. / ¼ kg carrots.
6 cherry tomatoes.
1/2 lb. / ¼ kg onions, finely sliced.
8 cloves garlic – grind to paste.
3 dry red chilies – grind to paste.
11/2 teaspoons cumin seeds – grind to paste.
1 ½ cups water.
2 teaspoons salt.
1 tablespoon vinegar.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce.
1 tablespoon sugar.
Vegetable oil or ghee as required.
Method
Peel sweet potatoes and potatoes, Scrape and clean carrots.
Cut sweet potatoes, potatoes and carrots into tiny cubes.
In a “kurhai” or bowl shaped vessel or deep frying pan pour oil or ghee to a
depth of 4 cm and heat.
Fry and cut vegetables separately in it and keep aside.
In a pan, fry the onions in 4 tablespoons oil or ghee till golden brown. Drain excess oil,
it sticks to bottom of pan.
Add masala paste to onion and cool 5 minutes adding 1 tablespoon water, if it sticks to
the bottom of the pan.
All all the fried vegetables and mix well, Add salt and water and cook, covered, on slow
fire for 15 minutes.
Add cherry tomatoes and continue cooking till tomatoes are soft and the stew is almost
dry. Add vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce and sauce and sugar and cook 5 to 10 minutes
longer.
Serve as a separate vegetable dish or as an accompaniment to cutlets, chops or patties.
Tarapori Patio (Dried Bombay Duck Patio)
Curried dry Bombay Duck usually eaten with Khichdee
Ingredients:
12 dry Bombay Duck
1/2 pod garlic
9 to 12 dry red chillies
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons grated jaggery
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted ghee
Method
Soak jaggery in 1/4 cup vinegar.
Remove head and tail from each Bombay Duck and any fin like protrusions near the tail. Cut
each Bombay Duck into 4 pieces.
Grind to a paste garlic, red chillies and cumin seeds with 1 tablespoon vinegar.
Heat oil or ghee in a pan and fry the onion till brown.
Add masala paste and cook for 5 minutes
Add pieces of Bombay Duck and mix well
Add salt and 1/4 cup vinegar and cook for 3 minutes.
Add vinegar and jaggery mixture and 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on slow fire for 10
minutes or till Bombay Duck are soft and cooked.
Serves 4.
Sev (Vermicelli) pudding
Vermicelli, fried, cooked with sugar and topped with seedless raisins (kismis) and almonds
to be served as sweet on days of celebrations.
Ingredients:
100 gms very fine vermicelli
5 tablespoons oil or ghee
3 Desertspoons sugar or more according to taste
2 tablespoon kismis (seedless raisins)
24 almonds
teaspoons mixed cardamom and nutmeg powder
1 1/2 cups water.
Method
In a deep pan heat the oil or ghee.
Take pan off fire and add vermicelli and mix quickly till oil and vermicelli are well
blended.
Place pan on medium fire and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until vermicelli
is well fried and brown.
add sugar and water and cook, covered, on slow fire for 5 to 10 minutes or until the
vermicelli is soft and all the water absorbed.
Boil almonds in water 1 minute. Cool slightly, then remove skin and slice almonds very
fine.
Fry almonds gently in a little oil in a frying for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow almonds to
brown much. remove and keep aside.
In the sameoil fry the kismis for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove.
Place cooked vermicelli in a serving dish, sprinkle with cardamom and nutmeg powder and
top with almonds and kismis.
Serves 4.
Ravo -(Semolina Pudding)
A sweet made of semolina traditionally served on festive occasions.
Ingredients:
2 dessertspoons melted butter or ghee
2 tablespoons semolina (sooji)
2 tablespoons sugar
cups milk
1 tablespoon kismis (seedless raisins)
1/4 teaspoon mixed cardamom and nutmeg powder.
15 almonds, blanched and finely sliced.
Method
Heat butter or ghee and add semolina. Cook, stirring, till semolina is slightly fried and
pale gold in colour.
Add sugar and milk and keep stirring till mixture thickens.
Pour into a shallow dish or pie plate and allow to cool and set.
Sprinkle with powdered cardamom and nutmeg, raisins and almonds and serve.
Serves 4.
Kopra Pak (Coconut fudge)
Ingredients:
1 fresh coconut, grated.
Sugar equal to 1 1/2 times weight of grated coconut.
3 tablespoon cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and cardamom powder
Few drops red colouring
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon butter.
Method
Grease a tray with butter.
In a pan add grated coconutand sugar and put on medium fire. Blend well stirring
constantly with wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
Add cream and blend well.
Cook, stirring constantly till mixture leaves sides of pan and coats the spoon.
Add vanilla essence and few drops of red coloring to give mixture a pale pink colour. Mix
well.
Turn out into tray, sprinkle nutmeg and cardamom powder over surface and spread out
mixture evenly to 1 cm (1/2 inch) thickness.
Cool for 15 minutes, then mark into 3 cm squares and allow to cool completely.
Break into pieces along marking lines. Store in airtight container.
Bhakra (Cookies)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ghee (should be cool)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup semolina (ravo)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 cardamoms peeled and crushed
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
2 tablespoon almonds, blanched, peeled and finely chopped
1 desert spoon curd
Vegetable oil or ghee for frying
Method
Sift separately semolina, all purpose flour and wheat flour.
Put ghee and sugar in a deep pan and stir briskly with the hand, for 5 minutes, to
lighten.
Add eggs, one by one and continue stirring briskly by hand till sugar has melted.
Add semolina to mixture and blend well.
Add all purpose flour and continue mixing.
Add vanilla essence to mixture and mix all Ingredients well.
Add baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg and almonds to wheat flour and blend well. Add to
mixture and mix till all Ingredients are well blended.
Add curd and make into a soft, sticky dough. Cover and keep for 3 to 4 hours.
Add about 1 tablespoon more wheat flour or semolina to the dough so that it is not too
sticky.
sprinkle a little wheat flour onto a pastry board or table top and roll out the dough into
a large round shape 1/2 centimeter thick.
Cut as many rounds of 6 centimeters as possible. roll leftover dough into a big round
again and once more cut small rounds from it.
Pour oil or ghee in a frying pan to a depth of 5 centimeters and heat. Deep fry bhakras on
medium fire till golden brown.
Serve at once or cool and store in an air tight container.
Makes about 24 pieces.
Parsee Custard
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
¾ cups sugar
1 ½ cups khoya (Milk Casein)
½ cup mixed sliced nuts,raisins
½ tsp. vanilla essence
3 eggs beaten
Method:
Boil milk and sugar till blended. Add broken khoya and stir till creamy. Add most of the
nuts and raisins. Cool and add beaten eggs and essence. Stir well and bake in a medium
oven till firm. Decorate with nuts and serve warm.You could also bake it in individual
portions.
MAWANI BOI
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 cups sweetened khoya
2 tbsps mixed pistachios and almonds
2 leaves of silver varkh (Silver leaf)
1 fish shaped mould
Method:
Fish is an auspicious motif for Parsis. This dish is a symbol of luck and good fortune.
Knead khoya with half the nuts. Grease the mould lightly and line with the varkh. Press
khoya tightly in the mould and turn over on a dish. Garnish with remaining nuts. |
