Navroz with Porus Vimadalal

With each new season of South Asian festivals, celebrations and customs, we sit down with dear friends to explore the significance of these moments to them. One such person is Porus Vimadalal, who is admired for his talent of capturing people’s beauty through a camera lens. His photography has been featured across fashion’s biggest names (Vogue, ELLE, and Harper’s Bazaar), and he has explored Parsi identity through several photo projects. Here, he speaks of the delights of Navroz – a celebration of new beginnings. He shares how his husband and creative partner, Prayag, renewed his own relationship to this event, the traditions they’ve seeded and grown together, and why dhandar patio is an “absolute must-have” on the day. ➺ What did Navroz mean to you growing up? As a child, Navroz was a relatively low-key affair in my parents’ home. I mostly remember waking up to my mom's Parsi ravo (sweet semolina pudding) or sev (sweet vermicelli) topped with dried fruits. Lunch was the classic dhandar and kolmi patio – yellow dal tempered with green chilli, garlic and cumin fried in pure ghee, served with white rice and the patio. It’s a tangy prawn gravy that gets its unique flavour from the addition of naturally brewed sugarcane vinegar. In Parsi culture, this dish is synonymous with auspicious occasions: new year, birthdays or anniversaries. There would be a lovely toran (flower garland hanging above the main door), and we’d adorn the entrance with chalk patterns, intricate stencils depicting good luck symbols. In the evening, we’d go out for a family dinner or visit some relatives. It was never an elaborate celebration. ➺ How has your relationship to Navroz changed over time? My perception of Navroz completely transformed after I met Prayag. He has a deep fascination with Parsi culture, and after we moved in together, he assimilated rapidly into the culture and our life, hence becoming the driving force behind our Navroz celebrations. He took the initiative to learn all the details – from precisely decorating the ses (a traditional Parsi ceremonial tray) to hand-picking chalk stencil designs and being very particular about the kind of flowers used for the toran, along with setting the lunch menu and other details. His enthusiasm is contagious, and I now share it wholeheartedly, which, in turn, has made Navroz so special. We often share the occasion with friends, gathering to cook a feast or head out for dinner. ➺ Are there any rituals or little customs you follow in the lead-up to Navroz? Our home – which is cleaned meticulously in any case on a daily basis – is scrubbed with even more vigour on the days leading up to Navroz. This creates a sense of freshness and intention. We do a quick pantry check to see if we have the ingredients for the new year meal and accompanying dishes. The ses is brought out to be cleaned and polished. The divo (lamp), always a quiet presence in our home, feels especially significant during this time. We decide what the day’s plan would be, whether we are having friends over, where we’d like to go out for dinner. It’s not a big production, but these small rituals really set the tone. ➺ What’s on the table at your Navroz feast? Is there an absolute must-have dish, and who makes this best? The absolute must-have is dhandar patio, which I always cook – and is a big hit. Along with this, there is farcha (fried chicken, Parsi style). For dessert, we love the classic lagan nu custard (baked milk custard flavoured with nutmeg, cardamom and rosewater, topped with nuts) and ravo. These are staples at our annual Navroz lunch table, bringing together tradition and deliciousness. ➺ What treats are you picking up for the celebrations? Prayag takes care of ordering some symbolic sweets from a well-known vendor here in Mumbai, which adds a special touch to our celebrations. We also place a bulk order of mawa boi to send to friends and family. This is a mullet fish-shaped sweet, made from mawa (thickened, reduced milk) and delicately flavoured with cardamom and rosewater. It is garnished with silver varq (edible foil) and slivered pistachios or almonds. The fish shape is symbolic in Parsi culture – it represents abundance, prosperity and good luck. ➺ Who are you giving your last bite of lagan nu custard to? From the rituals to the feast and down to the last spoon of lagan nu custard – always Prayag. Further deliciousness and delight await in our next Rooted in Ritual conversation, excitedly focused on Diwali – the Festival of Lights.