You will be greeted at Mahrukh's home with raspberry soda, which is an integral part of every Parsi meal. As the saying goes “Parsi is raspberry, and raspberry is Parsi.” You’ll then be taken to the Grand Road Market, where Mahrukh will show you how she buys all her fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.
Mahrukh lives in an old Parsi colony giving you a feel of the community's unity and strong bonds. Before you enter the house you will notice that the doorstep is decorated with beautiful rangoli designs. Rangoli is an art form in which decorative patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. Mahrukh will welcome you with a warm smile into her apartment that has been decorated with her daughter’s beautiful sketches and other artwork that reflects the creativity and artistic nature of the people who live in this home.
Later, join Mahrukh and her family for an authentic Paris, meat-centric meal. Your meal might include dishes like saria and lagan nu achaar (rice crisps served with homemade date pickle), tam tamata prawns (prawns in a spicy, tangy sauce), jardalu na gosht (tender lamb, slow-cooked in an intense apricot gravy topped with crisp salli), roast chicken, and finally lagan nu custard (a dense, luscious baked caramel custard topped with nuts and served with vermicelli and sweet yogurt).
Together with Mahrukh learn how to prepare two of the dishes you will be eating. You might learn to make some of Mahrukh's signature dishes like akuri (Indian scrambled eggs), patra ni macchi (steamed fish topped with chutney and wrapped in a banana leaf) or chicken pulao and daal (chicken with basmati rice topped with browned onions and lentils). After you've finished cooking sit down together to enjoy your meal, which will also include a variety of other dishes that Mahrukh has prepared in advance.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Mahrukh lives with her husband, son and daughter in their ancestral home in the old-world Ness Baugh, situated in South Mumbai. By day Mahrukh runs a beauty parlor, but cooking and feeding her friends and family has always been her passion and she jumps at the chance to serve authentic Parsi food to travelers from around the world!
Mahrukh first started cooking at the age of 7, when was so tiny that she needed a step stool to reach the gas burner. Her biggest fan has always been her father, who was always delighted to eat whatever his little daughter cooked with happiness and pride. She learned all of her cooking techniques from her mother and grandmother and delights in keeping old family recipes alive.
"Mahrukh welcomed me into her home and taught me about a variety of Parsi dishes. She was a very gracious host, and always made sure I was enjoying myself.
First we went to the local market, to see where Mahrukh buys her meat, fish and vegetables. Then we returned and made 3+ Parsi dishes. I even had a go at making a very wonky chapati!
Mahrukh and her family were very attentive and it was very interesting to hear about their background and life in Mumbai. Would absolutely recommend!"
"What can I say? The cooking lesson (and market tour) that Mahrukh provided was an amazing cultural learning experience! Mahrukh was very warm and friendly and made us feel welcome in her home. We started out with a simple demo on how to make malasa tea as Mahrukh described the courses we would be making. She provided us with print outs of all the recipes and gave us pens so we could make notes on the few bonus dishes she added. In the end, we made 7 courses of amazing Parsi Indian cuisine (all of which Im excited to make back home with the spices purchased from the market visit)! If you're looking for a unique cooking class that offers an experience unlike the others then I highly recommend contacting Mahrukh!"
"This is the first time ever I take a formal cooking class and the whole experience was absolutely fantastic, thanks to this gorgeous lady "Mahrukh Mogrelia" who shared with me her secrets of the Parsi cuisine (a variety of India cousine) highly recommended if you enjoy cooking, if you choose her as a teacher she will take you through the whole experience by the hand sharing all her secrets from how to choose the ingredients till the cooking and how to present the meal.Thanks Mahrukh for your patience and kindness,I am looking forward for a second class for sure."
"We have spent a very good and tasty moment. Reshma is very nice and she explains all in details letting also the possibility to adapt the recipe according to your own tastes.We had a lunch all together and Reshma have added some other recipes from her secret who has complet so well those we have cooked with her.A good address to learn and eat !!!Gina and Benjamin"
