Spring Recipe Collection Drops
A new roundup of 31 spring recipes for March is making waves, focusing on seasonal vegetables, lighter proteins, and vibrant flavors that celebrate the growing season. Meanwhile, a feature on Parsi biryani explores the rich, unique layered rice dish from India's Parsi community — perfect for adventurous home cooks.
Spring cooking often highlights produce with a short peak season, such as asparagus, radishes, peas, and leafy greens like spinach and arugula. Fruits like strawberries, rhubarb, and apricots also reach their peak flavor during the spring months. Parsi cuisine originated with Zoroastrians who migrated from Persia to Gujarat, India, between the 8th and 10th centuries. This history resulted in a unique fusion of Iranian and Indian culinary traditions, blending Persian techniques with spices and ingredients from India's west coast. The hallmark of Parsi cooking is a distinct sweet, sour, and spicy flavor profile known as "khattu-meethu-teekho". This balance is often achieved by combining ingredients like jaggery (unrefined sugar) and vinegar in the same dish. While sometimes called a pulao, Parsi biryani is prepared in a layered style and stands out for its balance of savory and sweet notes. It often features fried potatoes, and a generous topping of fried nuts and berries, providing a unique textural crunch. Parsi cuisine features a wide array of signature dishes beyond biryani. These include Dhansak, a hearty stew of lentils and meat, and Patra ni Machhi, which is fish steamed in a banana leaf with green chutney. Eggs are a beloved staple in Parsi food, and many vegetable dishes can be served "per edu," meaning they are topped with a cooked egg.
