Parsi New Year or Navroze is a day of family, merriment, new clothes and delicious food. I rarely get to eat Parsi food myself, so I eagerly wait for occasion such as these, because I know my dear friend and fellow foodie Perzen aka Bawi Bride will throw open the doors of her home and feed us! I’m a fan of her cooking since she started her blog and catering kitchen. She makes the yummiest, homely, hearty Parsi food. Read about my previous experiences with Bawi Bride’s Bhonu here and here.
It was #PatetiPopUp time! A bunch of us food bloggers, food writers and food lovers gathered at her home to celebrate Pateti and bring in the new year. The menu sounded delicious- Shirinbai’s Cheese Eeda Cutlets, Saas ni Prawns, Shehenshahi Pulao and Perzen’s signature Chocolate Mousse.
The Cheese- Eeda cutlets come with a lovely back story attached, that I am far too sentimental about. The cutlets stuffed with egg and gooey cheese, are best had hot! My paternal grandmother came up with the recipe, and stuffed me with them everytime I went to visit her during summer vacations. I would eat these cutlets for all three meals of the day, and still want more. She has been unable to make them for me due to age and other health issues. The last time I visited I managed to extract her signature recipe from this tiny brown paper covered note book, filled with her recipes which she scribbled in Gujarati half a century ago.
The ultimate taste test this was, to see if Bawi Bride could replicate my grandmother Shirinbai’s recipe. And I can happily say, and they tasted just like how my granny made them. Cheesy, eggy, and filled with love. I became a kid again, as I bit into those cutlets.
Saas ni Prawns was a twist on the classic, Parsi dish- Saas ni Macchi. The saas (sauce) is a sweet-spicy gravy which usually is cooked with pomfret fish, and served at most weddings. The prawns were an interesting twist, and this was the first time I had the ‘saas’ with prawns. Usually had with khichdi or rice, we dug into this with rotis instead.
The Shehenshahi Kheema Pulao, was a star! Layers of different elements: kheema, rice, dry fruits, egg, fried onions, made it fit for a Shehenshah indeed.The different contrasts of textures and flavours made this one interesting dish.
She saved the best for last! I’m a fan of the dense, creamy and chocolatey mousse so much, I could eat a tub-full.
All in all, there could’ve been no better start to the New Years. Navroze Mubarak indeed! May everyone’s lives be filled with happiness, cheer and good food.
