Enjoy Parsi cuisine by chef Shezad Marolia from Udvada at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai

Our table at Masala Kraft at the Taj Mahal Palace in Apollo Bunder is a chatty one and the conversation mostly revolves around Parsi cuisine Chef Shezad Marolia who opened an authentic Parsi bakery in Udvada two months ago is hosting An Enchanting Ode to Parsi Cuisine We are joined by historian Nastur Daruwalla son of late Bejan Daruwalla He keeps the mood light and shares nuggets of the community ldquoWe love to eat and we are always planning what our next meal will berdquo he quipsMarolia a French cuisinetrained chef who worked as a sous chef in London returned to India only eight years ago to start a cafeacute in the communityrsquos sacred town Udvada in Gujaratrsquos Valsad district Why Udvada as a choice to set shop we ask Marolia replies with a smile ldquoIt is our Mecca as we have the Zoroastrian temple Udvada Atash Behram My aim is to revive authentic Parsi cuisine that has diluted with timerdquo he shares He also runs Farohar caterers and had worked with city restaurateur Farrokh Khambata in his early years From his new bakery he supplies fresh brun maska among other delicacies that are prepared in his woodfire oven to nearby areas in GujaratLike the holy trinity Parsi cuisine rests on three pillars Khattu meethu and tikkhu sour sweet and spicy Marolia tells us the cuisine has Iranian as well as Portuguese influences ldquoI have 300 dishes in my repertoire some recipes dating back to 1934 and most of them my motherrsquos recipes I even have a dish called nariyal doodh ma cauliflower Rs 1400 a spiced coconut gravy with the humble cauliflowerrdquo he says Here are our top five picks from the popup menuMutton kheema cutlets Rs 1800Mutton kheema cutletsThe flat cutlets have mashed potato for binding with a filling of minced mutton Marolia generously shares the recipe mutton mince mashed potato green chilli paste cumin garlic ginger mint and coriander leaves fried onions and salt to taste Voila You can make this at homePrawn cocktail kebab Rs 2800Think of vada pav but with a seafood twist These prawn potato croquettes are almost like mini versions of the Mumbai staple with the goodness of seafood A fellow guest at our table tells us if it is a fried ball it is kebab and if it is flattened then it is a cutletChicken farcha Rs 1800A Parsi style drumstick comes laced with egg The chicken is semiprecooked and marinated and finished in the fryerSalli boti Rs 2000Marolia explains to us that Parsis of Gujarat love their food a tad spicier than the rest The salli boti is one example which is packed with green chilliesSaas ni machi Rs 3300We cannot leave out patra ni macchi Rs 3300 with its green chutney coating but saas ni machi deserves a try too The pomfret is prepared in a white sauce made from rice flour eggs fish stock onion garlic and green chillies It has a dash of Parsi vinegar and the method to prep the sauce is a delicate oneSagan ni sev Rs 800Like with the fish delicacy our meal isnrsquot over without lagan nu custard But this sagan ni sev has vermicelli cooked in ghee cardamom powder roasted nuts and mixed well in a sweet curd is a delight This unique preparation if compared to the sheer korma is a drier versionTill July 1At Masala Kraft Taj Mahal Palace ColabaTime 1230 pm to 245 pm 7 pm to 1145 pmCall 7506068014