Parsi Dhansak, Mumbai

Mutton cooked with four or five dals and a house masala, served with caramelised brown rice and kachumber. Parsi households traditionally eat it on Sunday, and never on a day of mourning, which is why restaurants often fix it to a particular day of the week.

Name	Where	What it is known for
Ripon Club1884	Ewart House, Fort	The Wednesday dhansak is part of the city’s food calendar. A members’ club, so you need a member.
Ideal Corner	Gunbow Street, Fort	Dhansak on Wednesdays; a small Parsi lunch room in an office lane.
Britannia & Co.1923	Wakefield House, Ballard Estate	Better known for berry pulao, but the Parsi table here is the fullest in the city.
Jimmy Boy1925	Vikas Building, Fort	Lagan nu bhonu, the wedding feast, served daily.
Paradise1940s	Colaba Causeway	Parsi food in Colaba.
SodaBottleOpenerWala	Bandra and BKC	The modern version, useful if you cannot get to Fort.

Worth knowing

• Wednesday and Sunday are the traditional days; several rooms cook it only then.
• The rice is caramelised brown, not white. If it comes white, it is not dhansak rice.
• Kachumber — the raw onion and cucumber salad — is part of the plate.
• There is a vegetarian version, but it is a concession rather than a tradition.

The other dishes

Read the city another way

Company, mill, factory and shop names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Inclusion is for independent discovery only, not endorsement or affiliation.