With the family at the ITC buffet
Few things excite the elders in our family as much as a buffet.
We went to the ITC Grand Central Hotel buffet for lunch yesterday. It was an Independence Day cum Parsi New Year buffet.
The buffet had a Parsi section but the family hunted for all across and not just for Parsi dishes.
The hunt for Mac and Cheese, polenta and bhel
Ironically, the only non Parsi (moi), stuck to the Parsi food. I had a juicy motichoor laddoo which is not Parsi, but why split hairs?
The non-Parsi ‘Parsi”
I was impressed by how good the food was and I have had my fair share of Parsi food over the last 20 years to know. I am not describing each dish as the festival was only for one day and the information is no longer pertinent. I write posts on Nowruz, the advent of spring 
the Irani New Year (which falls in March) and the Parsi New Year ( which falls in August) every year. This is because I am married to a Parsi in case you were living under a rock and weren’t aware of this.
The legendary ‘K”
Things have changed over the years for our family. My father-in-law and grandmother-in-law have passed away and are sorely missed. My mom-in-law and her siblings are in their late 70s. Which restricts their mobility and appetite. It was lovely to see them enjoy the food so much. K eased her diet restrictions for the day too.
Was lovely to see masi eat with gusto as has so many dietary restrictions
I turned 50 this year. Which makes me two or three years younger than what our folks were when I first met them. Except granny.
At times it’s best to not overanalyse things and to just savour the moment, and that’s what we did yesterday.I am rather pedantic about whether one should say Happy Pateti (it’s a day of penance), (Jamshedi) Nowruz Mubarak (that’s apt for the Irani NY) or Saal Mubarak. The last is what you wish you would wish people on Parsi New Year.
But that’s the Bengali aatel/ sophist in me. Parsis would tell you that it’s the sentiment behind kissy koti, hugs and kisses, that counts.
Can’t argue with that!
Kissy, koti and saal mubarak
PS: My annual PSA. You don’t have dhansak on auspicious occasions as that’s had on the fourth day after a death in the family.
Any guesses on why I use ABBA tracks for my Parsi festive reels?
Here’s a video from yesterday afternoon.
(Indian food, Parsi, Parsi food, Parsi new year) #finelychoppedtv #thalimumbai #foodocracyforher
