India On A Plate: Never Had The Parsi Dish Dhansak? You're Missing Out On Something Great

When you think of Parsi cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind is the lip-smacking dish dhansak. Udvada, a quaint little town situated on the coastline of Gujarat (and barely 200 kms from Mumbai), has a special place in Parsi history, and that is where we're headed because today it's dhansak that has caught our fancy.

So, let's take a step back in time and trace the journey of our Dhansak, a mouthwatering Parsi cuisine that you must try if you haven't already.

The final look of patiently prepared dhansak

When the Parsis fled from Iran, their ships landed in the west coast of India, near a small town in Gujarat called Sanjaar. The Parsis sought help from King Jadi Rana. Legend has it that the King then showed them a glass of milk that was full up to the brim.

The full glass of milk was meant to symbolise the fact that the land was full and that it wasn't feasible for King Rana to accept refugees. But here's where the tale of tales was born.

Dhansak served with caramelised rice on a banana leaf

A Zoroastrian priest then added a spoonful of sugar to the glass in order to show the king that the Parsis would bring to the land the same amount of sweetness as a spoonful of sugar in a full glass of milk without occupying much space. The priest had won this round, and it wasn't too long after that that the Parsis became an integral part of the community.

A search for the stories surrounding Parsi cuisine, led us to Udvada, and eventually to dhansak.

But what is dhansak?

Kubbra Sait gets lost in the flavours of dhansak

'Dhan' means rice and 'sak' is a mixture of lentils, vegetables, mutton and lots of spices. It is this electric mixture that makes the delectable Dhansak. Dhansak also symbolises the coming together of two countries and their dishes: the mutton from Iran and dal, pumpkins, aubergines, methi from Gujarat in India. If there's one thing you'll notice when you eat the dhansak is the slight tangy taste we usually taste in dals. This is perhaps where the local influence in dhansak is most apparent.

You're not done yet. Watch the video for more, and join Kubbra Sait and Indiatimes as we discover India's flavourful history with #IndiaOnAPlate