THE PARSI FOOD CHAIN

In a Sumptuous new book, chef Farokh Talati shows how Parsi cuisine came to be irresistible

- Sonal Shah

London's St John Bread & Wine, founded by chef Fergus Henderson of Nose to Tail Eating fame, is not known for a menu bursting with masalas. But while head chef Farokh Talati capably oversees its elegantly rustic, British-inspired plates of meats and veg, he has also been exploring his own family's Parsi food through popup dinners, and now his first cookbook. Conceived during the pandemic, Parsi: Recipes & Tales from the Ancient Culture is a charming, personal introduction to the cuisine by someone who discovered it from the outside-in.

Based on family dishes gleaned from Talati's trips to India (he was born and grew up in the UK), as well as his own experimentation, Parsi includes over 150 recipes. Not all of them are traditional, but they feel at home flavourwise among the classics, and seem in keeping with the Parsi spirit of adaptation.