Parsi Cuisine Glossary and Food Recipes

Find a collection of over 400 Parsi, Indian and Persian food recipes and cooking tips on this website.

See Recipes Index, use our search tool or make your choice in categories below.

Here are some parsi food dishes with explanation and descriptions to help you plan a menu.

The first serving begins with achaar (pickle) and chapattis (bread) and a vegetable dish like Parsi Lagansara Stew.
Second serving can be a chicken (or any meat) dish. This Chicken course includes: Chicken Farcha or Salli Ma Margi followed by more meat in the form of Kid Gosht, a baby lamb.

hird serving is followed with fish some examples are Fried Fish, machi no saas or Patrani macchi.

Fourth serving consists of a rice entree - Mutton pulao (or vegetarian pulao) with Dhansaak Masala Dal. Click here for Leela Palaces, Lufthansa Star Chef's Pick Prize Award winning Rita's Dhansaak recipe

Fifth and a sweet ending with Lagan Nu Custard, an extremely rich dessert, is offered. In the summer Cassata Icecream or chilled Kulfi is better.

Dinner is served on clean green banana leaves ( plates which are organic and degradable). Starters are Wafers, Machi no sas (promfrets), picles and chicken farchas. You can see the lagan-nu-custard wrapped in foil for later.

Hot dishes served on washed banana leaves which release a sweet flavor that can only be experienced.

For other menus, I suggest you combine a fish and/or meat dish, one vegetable dish and one sweet dessert from the categories below. Try to balance your diet with some vegetables and servings of Sliced Tomatoes, Kachumbar, Fresh lettuce, Greens, Salads, Yogurt and Carrots.

Egg Dishes

Omelette (Poro) is a wonderful breakfast dish, spicy and goes well with jam and toast
Ravo is a sweet semolina breakfast. Made on auspicious occasions
Half-Fried Eggs - done the parsi way (half-fried)
Chapat are pancakes done the parsi way
Akuri (Scrambled Eggs with spices)

Bharuchi Akuri (Scrambled Eggs with raisins and nuts)

Egg Vindaloo

Bhida par Eeda (Eggs and Okra)

Tabota par Eeda (Eggs and Tomatoes)

Breads

Desserts

Ghari Surat ni
Sutarfeni
Ghari khajoor ni
Kummas
Marzipan
Dudh na Puff (Parsi old time favorite)
Bhakhra is a parsi snack or dessert. Enjoyed at tea or after a meal.

Sev is made from the thinnest vermicelli (wheat)

Painda

Kulfi (Icecream)

Nankhatai

Falooda (from persian times)

Lagan nu Custard (from India and British times)

Fish Recipes

Dhan Dar patio
Fish Cutlet
Curry in a hurry
Kolmi Pulao
Kolmi na kavab
Kolmi Curry
Maachi Paatio
Maachi Pulao
Patra ni Maachi (Recipe only)
Patra ni Maachi (with instructions & tips)
Saas maachi no
Shrimp Kebab
Tareli Maachi (Fried Fish)
Kolmi Paatio
Boomla no paatio

Lamb or Beef Recipes

"Lamb Roast" is a spicy version of leg of lamb roasted
"Roast Gosht" is a parsi meat dish cooked regularly in parsi homes
"Chaaspaila Kaan gosht" means "Sweet Potato and Lamb"
"Lagan nu Stew" means "Stew for a wedding"
Vindaloo is an Indian dish. The term Vindaloo derives from the Portuguese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", a dish of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The king of curries, the fiery hot vindaloo, is of Portuguese origin.
"Papri ma Kavab" is a dish with Kababs in a indian vegetable 'papri' which is similar to flat green beans.
"Buffat Gosht nu" is lamb baked with mashed vegetables
"Masoor ma gosht" is Spicy Lentils with meat
"Jardaloo ma Gosht" is Apricot Meat Stew
"Dahi nu Gosht" is Meat with Yogurt
"Boti Papeta" is Meat and Potatoes
"Kheemo" is a spicy minced beef/lamb/chicken/turkey dish
"Chana ma Gosht" is Yellow chick peas with meat
"Gosht Ghambar nu" is a traditional parsee meat dish with potatoes
Kheemo is minced hamburger cooked the traditional parsi way