As Yuletide arrives, a podcast titled This is how India does Christmas by World of Sabrina, explores how Goa and Kerala celebrate the festival
Bebinca
In a country like India, where people are many and diverse, food and culture are often the only threads that bind them together. Across regions and communities, shared meals are what glue people together — honestly, it is just food. In this podcast, hosted by a YouTuber under her pen name, Sabrina’s World, a number of dishes are listed that give us a glimpse into how two states of West India celebrate Christmas.
Flavours of Goa
Christmas in Goa will be incomplete without Sorpotel, a rich and spicy pork curry whose preparation begins days before Christmas. Made with pork, liver, and spices, its distinctive flavour comes from a masala of Kashmiri chillies and vinegar. It is traditionally eaten with Sanna, a spongy, lightly steamed rice idli — its cousin, one may say — and coconut cakes made using fermented toddy, or palm wine.
Sorpotel. Pics courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
Vindaloo, yet another festive staple, traces its origins to the Portuguese dish, Carne de vinha d’alhos. In Goa, it is prepared with pork, garlic, and vinegar. While it was once cooked and preserved over time for the intensity of its flavour, it is now more commonly made and served with rice or pav.
At the heart of the spread are three desserts. Bebinca, often referred to as the ‘Queen of Goan Desserts’, is layered with precision, with each layer baked individually before the next is added. Made using coconut milk, ghee, flour, sugar, and eggs, Bebinca is believed to have originated from a nun named Bibiana in South Goa. Nevri or Neureos, also known as Karanji, are crescent-shaped pastries filled with coconut, semolina, and jaggery. Alle Belle, thin translucent crêpes filled with sweet coconut and jaggery, are typically eaten warm and enjoyed during afternoon tea.
Comfort, spice, celebration
In Kerala, a classic breakfast pairing is Appam and Ishtu (stew). Appams are soft pancakes made with rice and coconut milk, served alongside a gently spiced vegetable stew finished with coconut milk and a light oil tadka. The festive table is incomplete without plum cake, made from fruits and spices soaked in rum and folded into a batter of sugar, butter, and spice mix. Rumours say that the first plum cake in India was baked in Thalassery by Mambally Bapu at Mambally’s Royal Biscuit Factory in 1883, and for many, the first bite signals the true arrival of Christmas.
(From left) Duck Roast; Plum Cake. Representation pics/istock
For the main meal, Kerala Thalassery Duck Roast is a highlight. The duck is marinated and slow-cooked until caramelised, with black pepper providing heat, and is commonly served with Appam or rice. Another popular dish is Fish Moilee, a yellow, stew-like curry featuring marinated fish that is pan-fried before being simmered in coconut milk.
To conclude the meal, sweet snacks include Kulkuls (alternately spelt as Kalkals), shell-shaped fried treats made from flour, semolina, and sugar, finished by coating them in a sugar glaze.
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