The allure of stockings and puddings is hard to escape. When an Indian Christian heart wants what it wants, however, it would be rude-olph me not to give in.
There is something to be said about the appeal of, almost fervent love for doing the same things over and over again. Massive spruced up trees. Stockings by the fireplace. Stir-up Sundays and decadent puddings. Hot chocolate and pyjamas. An inviting dinner table spread with turkey and infinite comforting sides.
While these may be synonymous with Christmas as represented by pop culture, it loses relevance the brown-er things get. If I had a dirham for each time I was asked about gingerbread houses, it would eliminate the need to feature on the ‘Nice’ list.
So how do Indians celebrate the festival of red and green?
For starters, there is no homogenous answer. In a nation with a different dialect at every turn, you can always count on each community for diverse Christmas traditions.
While most remain heavy on the culinary front, the Yuletide spirit this side of the world also embodies community spirit and quality time with your loved ones. What remains the same is the essence, perhaps. Take food, for instance, where stories and love are inextricably woven in. Every year brings about a wave of nostalgia for carol-singing and crib-making competitions, gathering with the neighbourhood to prepare special seasonal treats, and going to bed stuffed and content. What ends up on the plate though, is a wholly different story.
Eat, Pray, Love, and Eat Again
As someone from Mangalore, an indispensable part of Christmas traditions has always been the making and gifting of ‘Kuswar’. Boasting as many as 22 different items, the mix of sweet and savoury offerings is a true labour of love. One of the most popular items in there are the ‘nevris’, which is basically a deep-fried dough that’s been mixed in with semolina and an assortment of nuts.
Another popular favourite is the kalkals or kidiyo, common across Goa as well. Made with ghee, flour, and sugar, it reiterates our love for all things fried. The iconic shell shape and sugary coating make it irresistible, and not uncommon for entire boxes to disappear in minutes.
The Syrian Christian community from Kerala, making up a significant portion of the community, bring in their own unique customs and cuisine. With a largely vegetarian 24 days of Advent, it all culminates in a massively gluttonous breakfast on Christmas Day. Appams (fermented rice pancakes) are a must, and considered sacrilegious if served with anything apart from the most flavourful chicken or beef stew.
The savoury breakfast, however, is just the beginning. A traditional celebration consists of the plum cake, duck or chicken roast, vattayappam (steamed rice cakes) and chicken curry, cutlets, rice, fish curry, Syrian mutton coconut fry, and a Christmas cake.
More desserts where that came from
The Christmas cake in this instance is slightly akin to a traditional Western Christmas pudding. Using all the same ingredients, the exceptions include being made just the evening prior and usage of Indian licensed beverages for maximum flavour impact. What remains, is the entire home waking up to its gorgeously intoxicating smell the next morning.
Lesser known in the mainstream Indian Christmas culinary scene, but equally appetising is the fare within the East Indian community. Popular dishes include the East Indian-styled Bottle Masala Prawn Chilly Fry and Khimad. The latter is essentially a lightly spiced sweetened licensed drink spiked with cardamon, cloves and black jaggery syrup, a heady mix of dark licensed beverages and juniper, topped with hot water.
Decadent desserts do truly maketh a Christmas, however, and each community has its own take. While a plum cake is common to all, you have Vorn (a warm split green gram pudding) in Mangalore, Milk Cream and Guava Cheese (or Goibada as it is natively known in Portuguese) among East Indians, or Perad for Goans, and of course, traditional marzipan and coconut cookies galore.
With each community offering a distinctive take on the festival, getting Santa-mental is something the world shares in common. A time of joy, love, and gratitude, maybe this year could also bring an opportunity to discover a whole other bevvy of traditions. And inculcate some delicious ones within your own.
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