Parsi cuisine facts for kids

Parsi cuisine is the traditional food of the Parsi people. Parsis live mainly in India and Pakistan. Their food is known for its unique mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. It often uses ingredients like coconut, lentils, and different meats.

Delicious Parsi Meals

A typical Parsi lunch often includes rice served with lentils or a curry. A "curry" usually has coconut in it and is thicker. A "ras" is similar but made without coconut. For dinner, Parsis often enjoy a meat dish, like lamb or chicken, served with potatoes or other vegetable curries.

Most Parsi meals are served with Kachumbar. This is a fresh, tangy salad made from chopped onions and cucumbers. It adds a nice, crisp flavor to the meal.

Here are some popular Parsi dishes:

• Chicken Farcha: This is a yummy fried chicken starter.
• Dhansak: A special dish made with lamb, mutton, goat, chicken, or vegetables. It's cooked in a rich gravy of mixed lentils (like toor daal) and served with brown rice.
• Patra ni Machhi: This dish features fish (often Pomfret or Surmai). The fish is stuffed with a green coconut chutney, wrapped in a banana leaf, and then steamed.
• Sali Murghi: A spicy chicken dish topped with crispy, thin fried potato sticks.
• Saas ni Machhi: Yellow rice served with pomfret fish fillets in a creamy white sauce.
• Kolmi no Patio: A tasty shrimp dish cooked in a spicy tomato curry.
• Jardaloo Sali Boti: Boneless mutton cooked in an onion and tomato sauce. It includes apricots and is topped with fried potato sticks.
• Khichri: A comforting dish of rice cooked with lentils like toor daal or moong daal.
• Tamota ni Ras Chaval: Mutton cutlets served with white rice and a flavorful tomato sauce.

Egg-cellent Parsi Dishes

Parsis love their eeda (egg) dishes! These are very popular in Parsi homes.

• Akuri: This is like scrambled eggs but made with special Parsi spices.
• Pora: A delicious Parsi-style omelette.

Many vegetables, such as okra, tomato, and potato, are also often cooked with eggs on top.

Sweet Treats and Snacks

Parsi cuisine also has many delicious desserts and snacks.

Sweet Desserts

Common Parsi desserts include:

• Sev: A sweet dish made from vermicelli noodles.
• Ravo: A sweet pudding made from semolina.
• Malido: A nutty fudge.

You might also find faluda and kulfi, which are popular ice cream desserts adopted from other cultures. For special occasions like weddings, a creamy dessert called Lagan nu Custard is traditionally served.

Tasty Snacks

Popular Parsi snacks include:

• Bhakhra: Sweet dough that is deep-fried.
• Batasa: Crunchy tea biscuits.
• Dar ni Pori: A light pastry filled with sweetened lentils.
• Doodh na Puff: A light and airy milk froth.
• Khaman na Ladva: Dumplings filled with sweetened coconut.