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10 Min Read Christmas in India is unique. Forget the run-of-the-mill plum cake, roast turkey and glasses of mulled wine that you see everywhere but instead, head to different parts across the country to taste authentic dishes that have become part of the melting pot of cultures that call India home.
Kuswar
Kuswar is not a particular dish, rather a tradition associated with Christmas among Goan and Mangalorean Catholics involving food. Borrowed from the concept of consoada, a Portuguese tradition of making sweets, kuswar is home prepared food items that are made well in advance and then, a little of each are put on trays and sent to well wishers and family. The items (numbering between 20-22) can be baked, steamed or fried, be sweet or savoury, and every tray that goes out comes back with kuswar made in the other’s household. “Most popular were sweets made at home with rice flour, coconut, semolina, channa dal (Bengal gram) and palm jaggery. A few like bebinca, cakes, bolinhos, batica (batega) contained egg and were baked. Some did not make cakes as eggs and butter were costly. In fact, the Goan consoada had hardly any egg-based baked cakes,” says Fatima de Silva Gracias in her book Cozinha de Goa.
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Pintyacha Sop
Think of a bowl of warm and comforting chicken soup on Christmas Eve. That is Pintyacha Sop (pronounced as 'soap') for you. This dish is a favourite among Maharashtra’s East Indian population, a community that traces their history back to 6th century CE, much before the Portuguese came to the western parts of the country in the 15th century. The soup is prepared before midnight mass and that’s the first thing people drink after returning from church - before the sweets come out.
Fruit Cakes and Christmas Lunches
Associated with areas that had a large colonial influence, Kolkata’s famed Christmas cake is the stuff of dreams. It’s been a symbol of Kolkata’s Christmas celebrations since the colonial era. Thes cakes can be found all year long if you look hard enough. Montoo’s, Saldanhas, Nahoums are old-world bakeries where orders fly off the shelves as Christmas nears. The fruit and plum cakes are rich and decadent, moist and marinated well. The city has seen many new patisseries open up but loyalists still prefer the cakes from old bakeries.
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Kolkata's Brit-era clubs are known for their unique Christmas spreads. Calcutta Club, The Bengal Club, Royal Calcutta Golf Club — all these places serve up a traditional lunch with roasts, gravy, bisques and plum cake with brandy butter sauce. If you have a club member friend, do make it a point to ask to be taken along.
Meat Feasts
The Northeast region follows a meat-heavy diet during Christmas, prominently featuring pork preparations. Smoked pork and black sesame seeds are abundantly used in Meghalaya. In neighbouring Nagaland, ribs and pork cooked with bamboo shoot are popular preparations. In Manipur, gak jang is consumed with a chilli chutney while Mizoram’s chicken dish of kaukswe is a influence from the country next door—Myanmar. A lot of indigenous ingredients are used in the paste or fermentation form. And rice as an accompaniment is a staple.
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