Seven foodies share their fondest Navroze and Gudi Padwa food memories

Feruzan BilimoriaBartender London TaxiApart from looking forward to all the moolah she received from relatives Feruzan Bilimoria waited for Navroze to get her fill of her favourite dishes I have an obsession with ghee and so our food is mostly like Gujarati food sweet and oily but nonvegetarian Her top picks are lagan nu custard which is caramel custard with a lot of sugar and walnuts But she also loves the ravo sev a Parsi kheer made using rava and vermicelliI learnt how to make it online and then my mother corrected it In the version I learned they add less milk and so its healthy My mom was like What are you doing add more cream But the bartender says Navroze is also a time to enjoy a hearty drink with family For the past few years she has concocted her own Parsi version of the classic cocktail whiskey flipThe flip is a mix of egg sugar cream and whiskey What I have done is that I have added all these spices like nutmeg cinnamon jaiphal and a little bit of rose water so that it doesnt become too spicy For us a family that drinks together stays togetherVishnu ManoharChef and restaurateurAt chef Vishnu Manohars Ghodbunder Road restaurant Vishnuji Ki Rasoi the mention of sambar wadi on the menu often elicits a quizzical expression Most confuse it with the South Indian lentilbased vegetable stew Its only if you are familiar with Nagpur cuisine that youll know what this is says Manohar who originally hails from Vidarbha and used to host a Marathi TV show Mejwani Pripurna KitchenSambar wadi or the Maharashtrian spring roll stuffed with cilantro is a popular Gudi Padwa dish prepared alongside tondli masala bhaat flavoured rice with ivy gourd shrikhand a sweet dish made of strained yogurt and koshimbir Maharashtrian raita with cucumber and roasted peanuts In Nagpur cilantro or coriander is referred to as sambar Thats how the name originated he says Traditionally sambar wadis would be prepared after Dussehra when markets would be flooded with the herbHowever its availability through the year prompted Manohar to introduce it on the menu a couple of years ago In Mumbai youll find bhakar wadi and kothimbir wadi but not this Its timeconsuming to prepare he says He compares sambar wadi to kachori But its the stuffing that sets it apart The blend of coriander leaves coconut cashew garam masala and raisins gives it a khattameetha taste that Mumbaikars loveFarrokh KhambataChef and restaurateurFarrokh Khambatas earliest memory of savouring the patra ni macchi a classic Parsi preparation was at the hands of a Goan chef who worked at their Gowalia Tank home during childhood They were called mestas They were Goan Catholic cooks who were employed in Parsi homes and would live with the family for long periods of time he recallsWhile the tradition of mestas is longextinct Khambatas memory of the delicious steamed fish coated in coconut chutney and wrapped in banana leaves is intact In fact he put his mestas recipe of the patra ni macchi to test when he launched his catering business back in 1997Since then its been one of the most soughtafter dishes Its a simple and aromatic dish thats popular at wedding and festive occasions Whats important in the preparation is the quality of the fish he says Khambata uses the silver pomfret from Gujarat the most preferred among premium fish over black or Chinese pomfret because its delicate in taste and has a certain freshnessThe masala made with desiccated coconut coriander green chillies caster sugar and lemon is a balance of sweet sour and spicy flavours In the past the masalas would be ground on a stone The more you ground the masala the tastier it would be he says Over the years the recipe has remained standard except now people want to fillet the fish to avoid the bones he adds And if you want to sample the best patra ni machhi Khambata says you should visit a Parsi home Or gatecrash a bawa wedding he laughsSimin PatelCity expert and blogger at BombaywalaA couple of years ago while researching the social history of Parsis in the country Simin Patel a DPhil candidate at Balliol College University of Oxford sampled the berry pulao at Britannia the Irani cafeacute at Ballard Estate Since then its been her goto dish Irani owner Boman Kohinoors late wife Bachan a Parsi introduced the famous Iranian berry rice pulav to the cityTo this day the barberries in Britannias signature dish is imported from Iran she says Like the pulav made in Iran this one is dry aromatic and lightly flavoured While both Irani and Parsis are Zoroastrians there are subtle cultural differences notes Patel The two reached India at different points of time Parsis arrived in India between the 8th to 10th century The Iranis on the other hand came to India in the last 200 years she explainsDespite Navroze being a predominantly Iranian festival the Parsis celebrate it too Except its without the paraphernalia that one would see in Iranian households on Navroze Here she says the preparation includes laying of a table with sofreh cloth with seven items including mirror candles coloured eggs fruits nuts and sweets that start with the sound of the letter S in Persian Growing up Patel has fond memories of spending Navroze with an Irani aunt who had moved to Mumbai from Iran after marrying a ParsiShenaz TreasuryActor and bloggerPARSI New Year for me is a day with family and food It always starts with us waking up and going to my parents home and eating akoori Its like bhurji but tastier says Shenaz Treasury The family then goes to the fire temple which is followed by a family lunch comprising dhaansak salli boti patra ni macchi My favourite sweet on Parsi New Year is sutarfeniAlso read Mumbai Food middays top five foodie picks for NavrozeIts these white sugary strings that look like grannys hair Whats funny is that I used to sit with my granny and eat it she remembers In the evening the family goes to watch a play As a kid Treasurywala recalls seeing cheesy Parsi plays with her parents Thankfully there are better plays today she says Unfortunately this year Treasurywala will not be celebrating Navroze with family as she will be in Delhi hosting an event I am going to miss themMandar BhideStandup comicCITYbased comic Mandar Bhide has bittersweet memories of Gudi Padwa It would invariably coincide with final exams During the first half of the day Id be frolicking around and in the second half the realisation would dawn that I have a paper tomorrow he laughs Back then the festival meant more of a family gettogether for Bhide with relatives dropping by for lunch My mother and aunts loved feeding guests It was never done out of compulsion he says One of the dishes that he truly enjoyed was puran poliThe best part about puran polis is that it can be eaten hot or cold I eat it hot because then the ghee melts on the roti he says Puran polis are made differently in various parts of Maharashtra In Bhides hometown Ratnagiri they are sweeter with a thicker stuffing than the ones made in Jalgaon Because of the abundance of coconuts in coastal areas they could afford to stuff it wellPrajakta KoliYouTuberThe YouTuber who recently crossed one million followers to become Indias biggest and youngest comedy creator is a fan of besan laddoos Holi has just gone by so this is basically a time of eating all these sweets Its also the time you randomly get money from your family and thats always a good thing she laughsBut the 25yearold who belongs to the Koli community also says that Gudi Padwa is a time when the fisheating family switches to being vegetarian So there is aloo sabji roti dal chawal and no fish Its also a day where we spend time with family Lunch is at home and dinner is out at someones house Its all about food and lovePatra ni macchiIngredients1 whole pomfret 5 gm turmeric 5 gm salt 2 banana leavesFor the chutney 100 gm coriander 30 gm mint 25 gm desiccated coconut 15 gm whole garlic 7 gm green chilli 3 gm sugar Salt to tasteMethodRemove the centre bone of the pomfret keeping the head tail and fillets intact Make two to three gashes on the skin and apply salt and turmeric on it and inside Mix all the chutney ingredients in a blender adding water only if required To wrap the fish spread some chutney on the banana leaf and place the fish over the chutney add more chutney in between the fillets and on top of the fish Spread evenly and cover completely with banana leaf Wrap the fish in banana leaf tie it with a thread and steam the fish for around 15 to 20 minutes Serve hot with a lime wedgeSambar wadisIngredientsFor outer covering of sambar wadi 100 gm bengal split gram powder besan 2 tbsp all purpose flour 1 tbsp cornstarch 14 tsp turmeric powderSalt to tasteFor paste1 tbsp garam masala 12 tbsp amchur powder WaterFor stuffing1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 14 tsp turmeric powder1 tbsp chilli powder1 tbsp cummin powder Sugar and salt to taste1 tbsp dry roasted poppy seeds 4 tbsp crushed roasted peanut powder 50 gm dry roasted coconut grated 500 gm finely chopped coriander 2 tbsp raisins OilMethodFor sambar wadi Mix all ingredients and make a tight dough Make small round balls and keep aside Make a paste using garam masala amchur powder and water and keep asideFor stuffingHeat oil in a pan fry gingergarlic paste and later add all the other ingredients Remove from the flame mix it properly and keep aside Roll one ball of dough apply garam masala paste from side to top and add the stuffing in the centre Fold it like a frankie or spring roll and deep fry it in oil till it gets crispy golden brownAlso read Gorge on some Gudi Padwa delightsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates