Armed with a degree from the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Parsi chef Anahita Dhondy was the youngest chef manager in the Indian culinary scene when she started her journey with SodaBottleOpenerwala in Delhi. Restaurants serving authentic Parsi food were scarce and Dhondy remembers her entrance test which involved a frantic phone call to her mother running through the basics of Parsi masalas as two gentlemen sat outside waiting for her to prove her culinary experience. Dhondy was all of 23 when she was hired and has spearheaded the opening of multiple branches of the popular chain before embarking on a journey of writing her own book and keeping her Parsi traditions alive.
Aptly named Parsi Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family (HarperCollins Publishers), the book is a collection of stories interspersed with recipes collected over the years. The chef was in town to launch her book and what better venue to do this at than her Le Cordon Bleu classmate Urvika Kanoi’s popular cafe The Daily. The two chefs donned their coats and took a trip down memory lane for a select audience on June 3 as Dhondy spoke to the audience about her culinary journey and read excerpts from the book. “While I had interned with the Taj group of hotels and had a fair bit of idea about food, the school was still extremely intimidating as we found ourselves competing in class with people who had gone for MasterChef Japan!” Dhondy said.
“Most of us went and learned the art of French cuisine at LCB but came back to our roots. I think that’s what the school does to you –– you learn the techniques and then apply the same to what is intrinsically yours,” Kanoi added. They doled out advice to newcomers who wanted to embark on a journey similar to theirs while sharing tips and tricks of the business. Not just the book but also masala from Dhondy’s mother’s kitchen was up for grabs at discounted rates at The Daily. Needless to say, she also recreated three delectable dishes for the audience to enjoy with their cups of choi (chai!).
Chef Kanoi was obviously not going to let her former classmate and her mother Nilufer to leave without exploring the city. So an exclusive food walk was arranged with t2 on a summer Saturday morning. The iconic places visited –– Putiram on College Street, Girish Ch. Dey & Nakur Ch. Nandy more popularly known as Nakur, Chitto Babur Dokan on Dacres Lane, and Konar Dokan near Calcutta Stock Exchange. While the itinerary couldn’t get more ‘Calcutta’ than this, the Dhondys went back with packets of sandesh after trying everything on the menu.
In between, Dhondy told us about her plans for her next book that she is already in the process of writing. “It is nothing like anything I have done before,” she mischevously smiled and said. We bring you glimpses from Anahita Dhondy’s rendezvous with Calcutta and The Telegraph.
Chef Urvika Kanoi (right) of The Daily gave company to Anahita Dhondy as she read excerpts from her book and created quick versions of some of her famous dishes.
Patra ni Macchi was the first dish that Dhondy cooked, followed by Ice Apple Ceviche and Paneer Akuri. “The moment Urvika told me there were ice apples available in the market, I knew I had to use it to create something,” smiled and said Dhondy.
The welcome drinks for the evening was a mix from The Daily and Anahita Dhondy. On the menu were Raspberry Soda, Nani’s Pheteli Coffee and Dad’s Parsi Choi.
Nilufer Aunty’s masala mixes were a great hit as Anahita used them to create her signature dishes. The packets were sold out within minutes!
Parsi Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family (HarperCollins Publishers)
THE SATURDAY MORNING FOOD TRAIL
The chefs posed in front of Putiram — from where the food trail started early in the morning — as they dug into some delectable kachoris.
At the iconic Girish Ch. Dey & Nakur Ch. Nandy shop near Hedua, we caught Dhondy clicking a selfie with her fans who won an online contest to come on this food trail with her. For Sweta, Rini, Juhi, Agneev and Abhileena, this Saturday morning was a dream come true.
Taking Dacres Lane by storm, Kanoi introduced the group to the famous office meal space that has existed for eons. “If you want to grab a delectable and wholesome meal at a super affordable price, this is the place to be. Chitto da is famous for his chicken stew which is flavourful and healthy in equal amounts,” she said
Our last stop for the morning was Konar Dukan, which served some malai toast and sweet lassi. “This has been my go-to spot since I was a child. And after growing up, this became our go-to morning spot after a night of having fun with friends,” Kanoi said. .
Pictures: B. Halder and Pabitra Das