Latest news with #Kaizad
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
A taste of Navroz: An insider's look at a chef's table on Parsi New Year
Coinciding with India's Independence Day today, the Zoroastrian community in the country celebrates their new year, aka Navroz or Nowruz. In India, they follow the Shahenshahi calendar, which does not account for leap years, so their New Year usually falls in August, unlike in Iran, where it's in March during the spring equinox. Starting their day with a visit to the Fire Temple or Agiary (or Atash Behram) for worship and to give thanks, Parsis spend the day surrounded by family, friends and food. On Navroz, the Parsis believe in incorporating different food items in their meals to signify prosperity and good luck(instagram/gallopsmumbai ) Food plays a major role in the festivities as it is a thread that connects them to their ancestors. Similar to the Chinese, the Parsis also believe in incorporating different items in their meals to signify prosperity and good luck. Fish is one such item, explains Chef Kaizad Patel, the proprietor of Mumbai-based Kaizad Patel Caterers. 'Many people will eat Mawa Ni Boi, which is a sweet made of mawa and shaped like a fish, which signifies abundance and good fortune.' Saas Ni Macchi is another fish preparation that is relished on this day. 'The Parsi food in India is very different from that eaten in Persia. Our food is similar to Gujarati cuisine with a little bit of British influence, as you can see with the Saas Ni Macchi," explains Chef Kaizad, adding, "It is basically fish simmered in a sauce made from rice flour, eggs, and stock, like a velouté (a white sauce made from a roux of butter and flour with chicken, veal, or pork stock).' The Patra ni macchi is also a popular item eaten on Navroz and other special occasions. The fish (or paneer for the vegetarians) is smeared in a green chutney made with coriander and mint, along with freshly grated coconut, turmeric powder, jeera, garlic, sugar and green chilli. A key component in this chutney is the sugar cane vinegar, or Kolah's vinegar, which is often used in Parsi cuisine to achieve the perfect balance of "Tikhu-Khatu-Mithu" (spicy, sour, and sweet) flavours. The fish is then wrapped in tender banana leaves and steamed to perfection. For Chef Yajush Malik, who runs Gallops Restaurant in Mumbai, kicks off his day on a sweet note with a 'breakfast of sev and sweet curd' that signifies wealth and joy. 'The sev is a very traditional one with it being browned vermicelli that is cooked with sugar and topped with ghee and fried dry fruits,' he says. Ravo is another classic dessert enjoyed on this day. Similar to kheer, ravo is made by cooking semolina in milk and adding a lot of dry fruits, like almonds, pistachios, and raisins, which stand for richness, longevity, and prosperity. Ravo is a semolina pudding that is similar to kheer (instagram) Other desserts eaten on this day include Suterfeni, Malai and Mawa Khaja, gigantic jalebis, Lagan nu Custard, Nankhatai and Batasa biscuits. A proud Parsi based in Delhi, Chef Anahita Dhondy has been showcasing her heritage on social media. Rice finds a proud place on the table, and Chef Anahita loves the Shehenshahi Pulao, which 'is very traditional and has its roots in Persia with our familiar Indian flavours as well. We always have some kind of rice, meat and dry fruit dish to celebrate Navroz, and this is one example.' While mutton and eeda (egg) dishes are a well-known part of the traditional Parsi Bhonu, she likes to spotlight dishes that aren't as well-known. 'For Navroz, there isn't a set menu for the day, and families make food based on their personal choice. But another, not-so-popular dish made on this day is Kid Ghosht. It can be made with mutton or chicken, and is cooked in a beautiful white creamy gravy that has a base of cashew nuts.' A popular food eaten on Navroz is Sali Boti (Instagram/gallopsmumbai) Many of the dishes at the bhonu is centred on the meat and the Sali Boti is one of the showstoppers.'On New Year's Day, we take our time with lunch, which is a family affair, full for laughter and food, with someone always urging you to 'eat more',' shares Chef Viraf Patel, who is at the helm of Across. 'Sali are the crispy potato matchsticks sprinkled over the rich, slow-cooked, tangy mutton gravy that's served with a pot of fragrant pulao that's topped with fried onions.' Chicken Farcha makes for a tasty nibble on Navroz(instagram/gallopsmumbai) One of the most popular dishes, chicken farcha, is a must on this day, and Chef Kaizad says, 'Chicken Farcha is nothing but fried chicken, and we have taken some inspiration from how the Muslim community fries the meat. The chicken pieces are double-fried with a coating of egg. It is enjoyed at almost all Parsi celebrations, big or small.' Last but not the least, the Bhonu will always include the classic dhan (rice) Mori dal (a very simple yellow dal with a garlic and ghee tempering) and patio (prawns or fish, cooked with eggplant onion and tomato which is sweet spicy and sour, sort of like a masala/pickle to go with the dal rice). It embodies the hallmarks of Parsi cuisine, which are Tikhu-Khatu-Mithu. Dhan dal patio is always eaten on good/celebratory occasions,' explains Chef Yajush.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trans Love Story ‘Lala & Poppy' From Veteran Producer Bobby Bedi Heads to Cannes Film Market (EXCLUSIVE)
Veteran Indian producer Bobby Bedi, who boldly backed Deepa Mehta's landmark LGBTQ+ film 'Fire' in 1995, returns to the frontier of boundary-pushing cinema with 'Lala & Poppy,' a unique love story being presented at the Cannes Film Market. The Mumbai-set drama, directed by Kaizad Gustad ('Bombay Boys'), explores uncharted cinematic territory through its central premise: a love story between a trans woman and a trans man navigating their transitions and relationship in a traditional fisherman's colony. More from Variety Is Mubi Really Worth $1 Billion? Inside Efe Cakarel's Plan to Make the Global Streamer Cooler Than A24 Juno Mak on His Star-Driven Cannes Midnight Screenings Drama 'Sons of the Neon Night': 'My Aim Was to Create a Unique World With Its Own Rules' Spanish Titles at This Year's Marché du Film Bedi's credits include some of the landmark titles of Indian cinema, including Shekhar Kapur's international breakthrough film 'Bandit Queen' (1994), 'Fire' (1996), Rani Mukerji-starring relationship drama 'Saathiya' (2002), Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Macbeth' adaptation 'Maqbool' (2003), Stanley Tong's Jackie Chan starrer 'The Myth' (2005) and Gurvinder Singh's Rotterdam title 'Crescent Night' (2002). 'When Kaizad brought Lala and Poppy to me, I did not see it as an LGBTQ subject but purely a love story between two people living in our world who had as much of a right to be who they want, and live, love and enjoy their lives as anyone else,' Bedi told Variety. The Hindi-language feature, produced by Content Flow Studios, stars transgender newcomers Suraj Rajkhowa as Lala and Vaishali Singh as Poppy, both of whom were involved in the project from its early development stages, bringing their lived experiences to their respective roles. 'The idea came to me over seven years ago. It was a simple, but unique premise,' said director Gustad. 'Boy meets girl – girl meets boy, but the boy is a girl and the girl is a boy. They meet and fall in love. What happens to their love story in a conservative society that won't accept their non-binary status?' Described as 'a joyful and contrasting story, like a bougainvillea growing in the gutters,' the film addresses serious themes of gender dysphoria and societal rejection while maintaining an uplifting tone focused on redemption and authenticity. 'Kaizad brought me into the project right from the inception, when he penned the first draft of the script nearly seven years ago,' said Rajkhowa. 'Finally getting the opportunity to act in the film was a truly surreal experience. Working under Kaizad's direction, with Himman Dhamija behind the camera, felt nothing short of a dream. Despite being newcomers, our ideas were not only heard but genuinely welcomed.' Singh, who portrays Poppy, called the opportunity 'surreal' and emphasized the film's cultural importance: 'It's necessary in today's society for so many people who are cinema enthusiasts to be acquainted with the joys of being your truest self and loving freely.' Gustad added: 'I wanted to ensure authenticity and representation first and foremost. So I reached out to the community and discussed my story at length.' Shot on location in Mumbai's Khar Danda fishing village in April this year, the film features cinematography by Himman Dhamija, who utilized 70's Anamorphic lenses to capture the environment's character while maintaining authenticity. 'I believe that in that imperfection lies beauty that speaks for our location's character and the way that we all have visualised the film – a visual ode to the amorphic cheek by jowl life of our fishing village of Khar Danda and of our characters,' he said. Sound design is by Andrew Beletty, with editing by Danish Shastri and production design by Michri C.B. Sangma. Post-production is currently underway, with completion expected by July 2025. Bedi, whose production of 'Fire' faced significant controversy upon its release nearly three decades ago, noted India's progress on LGBTQ+ rights: 'India is one of the few countries that recognizes many of these rights though much of our society and much of the world doesn't. I hope the film goes some way in changing that.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
