Dishes to Relish on Parsi New Year in August

Navroz or Nowruz is an important festival celebrated by the Parsi community. It is the day that marks the beginning of the new Iranian calendar and is also known as Parsi New Year.

On this auspicious occasion, Parsi families, apart from sending gifts and greetings to their loved ones, dress up in their traditional clothes and enjoy a get together with their families and friends. Like all the festivals, Navorz celebrations would be incomplete without a special meal.  

To celebrate the Parsi New Year, the Parsis prepare an elaborate feast, which is known as the Navroz meal. This year, Nowroz falls on 16th August 2022. So, if you are looking to try some Parsi food, you must try these dishes on Navroz. 

Dhansak

A popular Parsi dish, Dhansak is made by cooking goat meat with lentils and an assortment of vegetables. If you eat non-vegetarian food, it is one Parsi dish that everyone must try. A single morsel of the dish will leave your smiling from ear to ear. You can have it with chapati or naan, but Parsi like to have Dhansak with caramelised rice, which is topped with fried onions. 

Patra ni Machhi

No Parsi celebration is complete without this popular Parsi food. Machhi means Fish, and Patra is leaves, and hence the dish gets its name because the fish is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. The banana leaf adds another layer of aroma and flavour to the fish, perfectly complementing the use of spices.  

Typically, the dish is served with a side of rice. All Parsi families have their secret Patra ni Machhi recipe, which is passed from generation to generation. The taste may differ based on the type of fish and the spices used. But, they are all delectable and worth tasting. 

Akoori 

Akoori is the Parsi community’s version of scrambled eggs and it is usually eaten for breakfast but you can have it anytime of the day, and it is sure to make your tummy and heart full. Made with eggs, tomatoes, onions, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and fennel seeds, the dish is served with bread toast. But, if you are having it for lunch, you can also eat it with roti or chapati as it tastes heavenly.  

 Lagan nu Custard

Parsi New Year celebration calls for a sweet, and most families make Lagan nu Custard. It is decadent and a signature Prasi sweet dish. It is made with condensed milk, sugar, eggs, custard powder and a pinch of nutmeg. The spice adds an earthy flavour and cuts the sweet. It is a must-try delicacy during Parsi new year. 

Parsi Sev

Another delicious dessert in the list, Parsi Sev is usually made on special or festive occasions like Navroz. It is an easy-to-make sweet dish featuring Sevaiyyan or vermicelli as the main ingredient. It is made by roasting vermicelli and nuts in pure desi ghee, which is then added to sugar syrup that is flavoured with spices like saffron, nutmeg and cardamom. It has a unique aroma and the taste so rich that you can stop yourself going for a second serve. 

Now you know the best Parsi food you must try during Nowruz 2024, go ahead and treat yourself to these delicacies.