A SUNDAY EXPRESS BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR
In more than 150 recipes, a journey into the world of Parsi culture
through food, feasts, and family favorites-featuring original four-color
photography and a foreword by Parsi scholar Homi Bhabha.
"I'm just bowled over by this book. It's as fascinating as it is
beautiful, and full of food I'm desperate to eat!" -Nigella Lawson
"Jamva Chalo Ji," a simple yet celebratory phrase in Parsi-Gujarati,
translates literally as "Come, let's eat!"-though it doesn't take much
cajoling to gather a crowd around a Parsi table. Laden with lamb stews,
quails stuffed with biryani, salads of fennel and peas, and semolina
pudding, each spread is rich with the sumptuous Persian and Indian
flavors of cardamom and masala, coconut and mango-and in Parsi, chef
Farokh Talati invites home chefs to join the feast in the first major
cookbook of its kind.
Featuring step-by-step photographs that teach the best way to crack a
coconut at home, press homemade paneer from scratch, and preserve the
most piquant pickled vegetables possible, Parsi is a guide not only to
a unique cuisine but also a culture and family story preserved in its
flavors. With recipes for staple chutneys and spice pastes traditionally
ground by hand, soothing baked eggs and savory masala oats shared in the
morning, platters of lamb-herb kebabs and cucumber-pomegranate salads
shared at night, and rich raspberry wafer ice cream sandwiches and mango
buttermilk pudding that pay homage to the sweet tooth of Talati's youth,
Parsi is rich with the flavor of a culinary tradition well worth
relishing.
Combining Talati's decades of experience as a professional chef in
London's restaurant scene with recipes passed down from the home
kitchens and dining tables of his ancestors, Parsi celebrates both
festive dishes and everyday meals with a ringing "Jamva Chalo Ji."
Come, let's eat.
