The signature food of the Parsis: A history of dhansak and the many ways it can be made

I got my first taste of dhansak during the mid-1990s on a visit to Mumbai with my childhood friend Anupama.

Jeroo Nariman, the matriarch of Parsi Dairy Farm, knew Anupama’s family well and had invited us to join her weekly Sunday dhansak ritual with the brood at her 100-year-old home on Princess Street.

Jeroo’s family – her nieces Meheru and Shernaz, along with their respective husbands and kids – was big-hearted and zestful, and welcomed us to the table without a shred of formality. The mutton dhansak arrived along with its cavalcade of caramelised white rice, golden prawn kavabs, and crunchy kachumber or salad of finely diced onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The spicy dal, with large chunks of meat, had so many parts that it felt more like a production than a dish to me.

As the achingly tender meat fell apart in our mouths, we oohed and aahed over its luscious texture. Platters were passed, conversations sparked, banter exchanged, and frustrations vented. The meal ended on a high note with Jeroo’s spectacular caramel custard, and Rambo the dalmatian scoring a regal dollop of white butter.

All too soon it was late afternoon. Replete with Duke’s Raspberry Soda and buoyed by the boisterous bonhomie...

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