Recipes are linked to some of the Biscoots – enjoy! While historians believe that cookies were a technique that came with the colonial settlers, the credit for transforming them into our beloved biskoot goes to the Parsis. The crumbly tradition continues with chai, writes Monalisa Kar An inseparable part of our chai experience, the saga of the […]
We used to get Nankhatai like these in Surat, India from the famous Dotivala Bakery. 2 khatai wrapped back to back in wax paper together. Now making them in USA, makes my day during the Covid-19 lockdown. Recipe by Vera Dinshaw Springett and Sandra Master Ingredients– 4 cups All-purpose Flour– 1.25 cups or 10oz of […]
What do Nankhatai Biscuits & Nankhatai Band have in common? Answer: Both Biscuit and Band were popular in Surat, India. The soft crumbly nankhatai brings back many a fond memory. The word Nankhatai comes from the Persian word ‘Nan‘ meaning bread and ‘Khatai’ probably comes from ‘Catai’ or ‘Cathay’, the older name for China. Thus translating […]
Dotivala The ‘Batasas’ Family of Surat UpperCrust visits Dotivala, Surat’s oldest bakery, which is known all over India for its Batasas, Nankhatais and Khari biscuits. WHATEVER you do in Surat, you cannot come away without buying Nankhatai, Batasas and Khari biscuits from the old Dotivala bakery there. It is located on Ardeshir Kotwal Road, Nanpura, […]
Some FUN reading: 😍😍 BusyBee (our very own Behram Contractor) on Parsis A few Words about Parsis, most lovable & peace-loving people: The first Parsis I knew were statues. There were scores of them, all over Bombay (now Mumbai), most of them wearing glasses: Dadabhoy Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Jamshedji Tata, Cowasjee Jehangir, Bomanji Petit, the […]
Some FUN reading:😍😍 BusyBee (our very own Behram Contractor) on Parsis A few Words about Parsis, most lovable & peace-loving people: The first Parsis I knew were statues. There were scores of them, all over Bombay (now Mumbai), most of them wearing glasses: Dadabhoy Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Jamshedji Tata, Cowasjee Jehangir, Bomanji Petit, the Khada […]
Considering India just celebrated its independence of 70 years from the British Raj, this makes the bakery one of the longest surviving and thriving business in modern day India. During their reign in India, the Dutch established in Surat a warehouse on Dutch Road, in which five Parsi gentlemen were employed as bakers. When the […]
Welcome to Parsi Cuisine.The Parsi way of cooking is traditionally adapted from Indian and from Indian ingredients and spices. Vegetables, Meats, Eggs and Dairy products are the foundation of the parsi diet. Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamon, Rosewater, and Vanilla flavor the food and remind us of the sweetness of life. Curry Powder, Ginger, Garlic, add […]
Nan Khatai These soft cookies are similar to the European dutch shortbread cookies. I flavored them with Rose and Cardamon. Very easy and fun to make. Makes 12 Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter (salted is fine but omit the pinch of salt) 1/2 tsp. double-acting baking […]
by Meenakshi Iyer, Hindustan Times, Mumbai Since its opening in Gurgaon two years ago, SodaBottleOpenerWala (SBOW) has enjoyed good reviews from patrons and critics alike. Whether it is the décor — complete with a make-believe family tree of Rustom SodaBottleOpenerWala (the Parsi mascot who appears on plates, coasters and stirrers) — or the menu, that […]
For most of us, the upcoming Gudi Padwa weekend will be the last of the long weekends (unless of course you are one of those lucky chaps who also have the Ram Navmi weekend off). This will follow an almost three-and-a-half month drought of public holidays that will extend all the way up to the […]
Udvada Where The Fires Are Always Burning The holy town of Udvada is where the sacred fire of the Iranshah Atashbehram is burning since Zoroastrians came to India, writes CYRUS H. MERCHANT. And outside, in small Parsi homes and a lonely bakery, a different kind of fire burns, keeping the community’s cuisine alive, says MARK […]
by Meher Mirza Cyrus Dotivala talks to Zororoots participants at Surat’s Dotivala Bakery. Photograph from Zoroastrian Return to Roots team I’m going to be honest with you. I’m a Parsi but I’ve always had a somewhat tenuous love for Parsi food. Of course I liked the odd dish here and there—dhan-dar chawal, […]
Instead of booking a table at a city Bawa eatery on Parsi new year, drive to Udwada for boi, dal-chawal and patio 1. The Hormuzd Bakery stall outside Iranshah Atash Behram stocks crumbly nankhatais and spongy bhakras; 2. Breakfast at Ahura: Parsi poro, akuri and salli par eedu with fresh pav make a jumbo breakfast at […]
