Parsi family lunch

This is a traditional Sunday family lunch for a well-to-do Parsi extended household.

It features a lamb dish, dhansak, served with the traditional accompaniments of brown rice and kachumber. Dessert is the famous Parsi baked egg custard or lagan nu custard.  This would make an ideal winter meal.

As presented here it would serve 4 people.

It does not need a lot of time to make this menu.

I would prepare the lagan nu custard first, to allow it to cool once it has finished cooking. Once it was in the oven, I would then start on the dhansak, and once that was cooking, I would prepare the kachumber, giving it time to be chilled before serving. I would make the rice as late as possible so that it can go straight from the pot to being served once it is ready.

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main course

dhansak

Dhansak is an ages-old Parsi family recipe. It has something for everyone – lamb, lentils, pumpkin, eggplant, and a creamy texture with no dairy products.

Parsi brown rice

Rice with caramelised onions. Lightly golden in colour, vagharela chawal is mildly sweet and fragrant from the whole spices. This is a step up from plain rice.

kachumber

Fresh and slightly acidic, kachumber is a chopped salad featuring tomato, cucumber and onion. It is a common accompaniment to many Indian meals.

dessert

Parsi baked egg custard

A simple, yet elegant dessert, lagan nu custard is served at festive family occasions. It is made with everyday ingredients, just a few spices, and is not tooth-achingly sweet.