Celebrating Navroz 2024: How the Parsi community comes together for tradition, culture and food that has shaped Mumbai’s culinary legacy

Born and brought up in a Parsi catering family in Grant Road, Parsi New Year has always been chaotic for Dilshad Karande with preparations of Parsi delicacies. She explains, "It's followed by a peaceful visit to the fire temple and an evening surrounded by family and the Parsi community watching a Parsi play (natak)." This Navroz, as the festival is called was no different, but for the Mumbaikar, the celebration continues throughout the year, as she opened Parsilicious, a Parsi kitchen in 2019 and even made a Parsi Bhonu meal and with that intends to pass on the same tradition to her 12-year-old daughter and 2-year-old boy.

Every year, Parsis in India and more close to home in Mumbai celebrate Parsi New Year in August. This year, according to the Zoroastrian calendar, it was celebrated on August 15, coinciding with India's Independence Day but more interestingly also falling on Dilshad's daughter's Parsi Roj birthday. However, it happens to also be a long weekend as people will be celebrating all weekend till Monday, which is Raksha Bandhan. Navroz is celebrated on one day, but Mumbai celebrates the community through its food every other day, with many delicious dishes. It has also been how Dilshad celebrated the day with her family and husband Tejus Karande.

Celebrating with unique dishes that define the Parsi feast
While people may know of the popular Parsi dishes, the Mumbaikar says there are many lesser-known dishes like Udwadia Mutton, Najamai Nu Doru Khichdi, Bhajidana Ghosh and Khurchan, which are not only her favourites, but recommended for people to try at the first opportunity. Even Viraf Patel, city-based chef at Native Bombay in Ballard Estate, who spent most of his childhood in Colaba, believes there are others. He shares, "There are more Parsi dishes that are unknown to most than one would expect. Some of them are Kuku e Sabz, Parthian Lamb Stew, Kaleji Khurchan, doodh na puff, Bharuchi Akoori."

While the Mumbai chef hasn't been able to celebrate the festival this year as he is on the road, celebrations have always been about food in his home for the longest time. "The fondest memories of Parsi New Year have always revolved around food. It is the time to meet family, and family gatherings have always entailed endless hours of eating," Viraf says, continuing, "My non-Parsi (Parjat) wife usually does a huge spread of all Parsi dishes every year for friends and family. It is one of the reasons everyone tries to keep her happy through the year," he shares.

Dwindling population and migration from Mumbai
Over the years, there have been several reports of the Parsi community dwindling in numbers and even rumours of them moving out of the city for better opportunities, even though they have a rich history with the city. So, where does the community stand today? He shares, "The community is expanding now since we are happily producing more babies. However, there are Parsis who are leaving Mumbai and India in large numbers as many find more lucrative businesses in foreign lands."

Even Dilshad agrees with him but looks at it in a more positive light, as she adds, "You can find the Parsi clan all over the world now. We are a global community, and a minority found almost everywhere."

Chef Daugdo Farokh Ragina, a Mumbai home chef, also agrees with Dilshad and Viraf. She believes that population and migration are complex issues with several contributing factors. - While she believes the lower birth rates can be attributed to the higher emphasis on education and career leading to later marriages and fewer children, she explains, "High rates of emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia are in search of better opportunities in education, career and quality of life."

The city has an aging population with a larger proportion of older individuals compared to younger ones in the city, according to her, the economic and social pressure has also been leading the community to have smaller families. "Modern lifestyles and cultural shifts resulting in pursuing careers and personal goals over traditional family structures and size," she adds. Even as all these factors come into play, the Mumbaikar believes Parsis have been in India for a long time and have established a deep connection with it, and that is why they won't leave the country and the city any time soon, especially with their love for food and giving the city some of its most iconic restaurants.

Showcasing Parsi cuisine beyond the iconic restaurants
With Mumbaikars celebrating Parsi New Year, it's the catering families like that of Dilshad and Daugdo that don't really need to have restaurants anymore but can cook up a storm out of their delivery kitchens respectively. The latter is even hosting a Parsi popup ‘BAWA BHONU: A Parsi Feast' at MoMo café in Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport in Andheri till August 18 to give people a taste of their delicacies. As food plays a central role in the culture, she highlights, "'The pop-up has dishes like Patra ni machhi (fish wrapped in banana leaves, saas ni machhi (fish in sweet and tangy white sauce), sali boti (meat with potato straws, dhansak (a lentil and vegetable-based meat dish), and numerous sweets and desserts like 'lagan nu custard', falooda, 'ravo' (semolina dessert) and 'sev' (sweet vermicelli) too." The Mumbai home chef says it is not only a chance for people to enjoy the dishes but also learn more about the culture and the significance of the dishes in the cuisine.

For Daugdo, Parsi food is more than just dishes, it is a legacy that she is carrying on from her grandfather's time. "My grandfather Rustomji Bharda used to cater for Parsi weddings and navjotes in our native Navsari, a quaint town in Gujarat. He was passionate about his craft and dedicated his life to meticulously preparing every meal in the essence of traditional Parsi cuisine. He was not only a talented caterer but also a mentor to many in the community, sharing his knowledge and skills with aspiring young chefs." Surrounded by him, Daugdo says she grew up watching his dedication and that helped her feel a deep sense of pride in her heritage.

In continuing his legacy, the Mumbai home chef strictly uses homemade masalas, like most other Parsi families for her food, and she has brought that along with her for the popup too. She explains, "Parsi cuisine is characterised by its unique blend of flavours, that come from a variety of homemade masalas that add depth, aroma and a distinct flavour to dishes. Some of these masalas are Dhana Jeera masala, which is a blend of coriander and cumin seeds, Parsi Sambhar masala, which is a spicy and tangy masala made from red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric and asafoetida. We also have a vindaloo masala, which is a hot and sour masala originally influenced by the Portuguese dish vindaloo and containing red chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin, mustard seeds and vinegar."

She adds, "We make a dhansak masala, which is a complex spice mix of coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom and nutmeg, and that is the heart of the famous Parsi dish, Dhansak." Last but not least, the community also boasts of a garam masala, which is a Parsi twist to the traditional garam masala that contains cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, black cardamom and bay leaves that lend their dishes a unique taste and is loved by every Mumbaikar living in the city now and will continue to do so in the future.

Also Read: Heritage cookbooks: How Mumbaikars are documenting Pre-Independence recipes in the modern era