Everyone has a dish that immediately transports them to their childhood, their consummate comfort food. For me - and probably many other Parsis across the world - it’s a simple combination of rice, dal and and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce - the infamous, Dhandar Patio. Though many of you may now be crying out in defense of Dhansak the truth is that it’s sad to see Parsi culture has been reduced to one (admittedly wonderful) dish, in fact that should be our new slogan, ‘Parsis - More Than Just Dhansak and Vultures’

For Villie Mehta and the ladies of the Time & Talents Club in Mumbai, introducing the world to the vast unknowns of Parsi cuisine has become a full-time endeavour. Villie Mehta is well known in the community for running the kitchens of Victory stall at Apollo Bunder (circa 1965) and as the editor of Millenium Recipes 2004. Previously, she also curated Classic Recipes, a collection of over 2,000 recipes tirelessly collected from family recipes dating back to the 1930’s, all of which come in their orginal format, completely untouched by time. Each recipe comes with a quirky quote, many that have been transcribed from the original written pages of family collections themselves. Among these gems are things like, “Dane dane per likhe hai, khanewala ka nam (On each grain, the name of the eater is written).” which are guaranteed to liven up your time in the kitchen.

For many Parsi families, this book has become a mainstay of their collection and goes unnoticed for the most part with people favouring their own family recipes. However, for those looking for an introduction to Parsi cuisine and a guiding hand in the kitchen, this should definitely be on your reading list. Aside from the many traditionally Indian section, it also includes favourites from Parsi ladies across the world, whether from the communities in East Africa and even a guide to making jams and pickles, this is more than just a treasure trove of recipes, it’s a commentary of the entire Parsi community through the ages.