‘Sometimes, there is pressure to make them fancier, but certain dishes should be kept the way they are’: Chef Anahita Dhondy Bhandari

A wife, chef, and author, Anahita Dhondy Bhandari dons many hats. Born and brought up in a close-knitted Parsi family in Delhi, Anahita, though loved Parsi food, never intended to pursue it. As with life, nothing is constant, she too changed her mind when she realised the importance of her Parsi roots and how much she liked the cuisine while studying French cuisine and pastry in London.
“I grew up in Delhi. There are 300 Parsi families here, we speak Gujarati, follow all Parsi traditions and talk a lot about food. Since my childhood, I always loved Parsi food but never wanted to pursue it,” she said.
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But on returning to India, she knew what she wanted and did not take much time to start her journey as a chef with the sole intention of popularising Parsi cuisine not just in India but globally. Hence, she joined Sodabottle Openerwala at the age of 23 and spearheaded the opening of multiple branches of the restaurant; there has been no looking back ever since. Not only this, but the chef also penned a book of Parsi recipes, and is excited about her new collaboration venture — Glasshouse (Gurgaon) — a restaurant where she has played with some interesting Parsi dishes.
In an exclusive email interaction with , Anahita spoke about her culinary journey, Parsi cuisine, and so much more! Edited excerpts below:
Tell us about your love for Parsi cuisine. What are your earliest memories of cooking, and how did your roots play a role in influencing your career choice?
When I was in London, I used to miss home-cooked food a lot; and while learning new cuisines, I started missing my Parsi cuisine even more. I decided to learn more about Parsi food. I haven’t learned Parsi cuisine from any school or institute. My teachers were my mother, grandmother, and aunts, and I got recipes from everyone in the family. I tried all of them, worked on them and got them approved, and then used them for commercial purposes. Some of my old memories of cooking are from my school days when I used to help my mother in the kitchen with icing cakes and cooking a few dishes with her.
Parsi food is a symphony of spicy, tangy, sweet, and rich food. (Photo: PR handout)
What inspired you to write Parsi Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family?
Parsi Kitchen is a book that, I would say, is not just filled with recipes but has lovely and interesting stories in it. The stories are equally important because they give context to the recipes. The book has a beautiful collection of not only recipes but food pictures, stories, and contributions from all my family members. It took me five long years to put it together and it is my journey of stepping into my own cuisine. Through this book, I really want to make Parsi cuisine so famous that every week, one dish should be cooked in your home.
In what ways, according to you, has Parsi cuisine evolved over the years?
So, Parsi cuisine is a mix of five different cuisines– Iranian, Persian, Gujrati, Goan, and British as Parsis have worked very closely with the British. It has evolved over the years based on the available ingredients. Two major influencing factors are weather and ingredients. Also, there are dishes which were cooked in a different way 100 years back and now with the advancement of technology, they are cooked in minutes. This is also one of the factors that evolve the cuisine.

The dominating flavours and ingredients in Parsi dishes are…
Parsi food is a symphony of spicy, tangy, sweet, and rich food. When you take a bite, it takes your tongue on a roller coaster ride of flavours. Parsi food has vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and spice. Texture plays an important part as certain dishes are fried, baked, or gravy based.

 
Do you often experiment with Parsi dishes to make them appealing?
I tweak dishes only when I personally don’t like anything in the dish. There are certain recipes that are traditional and have been made over the years, so sometimes there is a lot of pressure on us as chefs to make them fancier, and evolve them but I feel certain dishes should be kept the way they are.
There are not many Parsi eateries today, do you think the cuisine is under a threat?
Yes, they have been fading out for the last 25 years. There were 500 Parsi cafes and now only 25 are left. The reason for the dwindling number is exorbitant rents vis-à-vis restaurant pricing. Though the number might be diminishing, there is huge awareness of Parsi cuisine in the market.
How have you been trying to popularise Parsi flavours globally?
Well, now it is my mission to make Parsi cuisine very popular not only in India but around the globe. I want people to cook Parsi dishes at least once or twice at their homes. They can make Parsi dishes as a part of their celebratory menu with dishes like Mava Cake, Dhansaak, and simple kadhi chawal. That is why I have got a complete book on the same. Additionally, I make a lot of videos on social media on Parsi recipes so that maximum information can be disseminated and recipes don’t die out. I am doing small pop-ups, and classes so that one day everyone will enjoy cooking Parsi food and one day it will become the most popular cuisine.
How would you describe the Parsi food scene in Delhi, where people love to devour butter chicken, biryanis, and chole bhature?
So, when we opened Sodabottle Openerwala in 2013, we used to have very complicated terms for various dishes on the menu and everyone pointed out why we used such difficult names. I believe in a city like Delhi or Gurugram, you have to create a niche for yourself, especially where people love certain kinds of dishes like Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. It is important to voice out your opinions to make them try. We have tried to keep the authenticity alive and so many people have loved that.

Tell us about the weekend Parsi kitchen that you started with your mother during the lockdown.
My mom and I started it from our home kitchen during Covid times and continued it for a year. We used to deliver in Gurugram only but then within a year we reached Delhi NCR. The guests loved the food as it was home-cooked and priced reasonably. I always wanted to work with my mother, professionally. That is how this idea struck my mind.
You are married to a Punjabi. Have Punjabi flavours influenced your cooking?
I am happily married to a Punjabi man. His family is as foodies as mine. I have made them love Parsi food and they really enjoy the food I cook. I have influenced their taste buds a lot but at the same time, I too have been influenced Punjabi food as I love it. I really appreciate Punjabi home cooking because it is not showcased much. One day I hope to write a book on what I have learned from my husband’s Punjabi family.
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