Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!
So, hey! As December unfolds, the crisp air invites us to hold the warmth of our cosy homes, where the glow of heaters mixes with the chilly atmosphere outside. Our imaginations wander to the charm of old fireplaces adorned with colourful stockings and festive decorations hanging on doors, showing us how to celebrate.
The joyous festival of Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, booms across the globe with unmatched enthusiasm and fervour. Christmas is a special time filled with tradition. The smell of Christmas delicacies fills the air, bringing families together around the table. It is a joyful occasion for reunion, laughter, and enjoying rich meals.
Like many other cultures, in India, Christmas is celebrated with lively traditions and traditional recipes. Each part of our country adds unique dishes, creating a wonderful mix of the best Christmas foods that delight the taste buds and capture the season’s spirit.
From the lands of sunrise northeast to the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, Christmas in India is a sensory feast that extends far beyond the twinkling lights and carolers. It’s a time when churches overflow with devotees, homes are decked out in colourful decorations, and tables groan under the weight of mouth-watering delicacies.
Indian Christmas cuisine is a fascinating blend of traditional British-inspired dishes and locally sourced ingredients. It reflects the country’s history as a former British colony while showcasing the resourcefulness of Indian cooks who have adapted foreign recipes to suit local tastes and available ingredients.
Kerala’s Neyyappam
As God’s own country, Kerala’s Neyyappam is a traditional Christmas recipe. These are small, fried rice cakes made with rice flour batter, maida, jaggery, grated coconut, and cardamom. Now deep-fried in A2 ghee, these cakes have a smooth and buttery texture. Their fluffy interior and crispy exterior feel like heaven on a plate.
Goan Bebinca
The bebinca is a captivating delicacy that showcases Goa’s rich heritage. This layered dessert is a blast of flavours that adds an extra spark to the Christmas celebration. It is made with coconut milk, flour, eggs, and sugar; each layer tastes different. Now, is there a bebinca on your mind?! Then try these Indian Christmas dishes.
Maharashtra’s Duck Moilee
You know it will be good when Duck Moilee is for Christmas dinner. From the Anglo-Indian kitchens of Maharashtra, this juicy duck meat dish floods the mouth with flavours. It is made by marinating the duck with different spices and cooking until the meat is tender, soft, and flavourful. Serve it with steamed rice and feel the blend of flavours with your fingers.
Manipur’s Nga Atobia Thongba
Manipuri people wholeheartedly celebrate the tradition of making their best Christmas food, Nga Atobia Thongba. ‘Nga’ means fish, ‘Atobia’ refers to hot chilli, and ‘Thongba’ is a stew or curry. Sometimes, bamboo shoots play a vital role here. This dish is the best bit of Manipur’s culinary heritage, combined with bold spice, local ingredients, and fresh river fish. It fosters the entire Meitei community with a warm and inviting taste.
Guava Cheese of Maharashtra
The ‘Perad’ or ‘Goiabada’ is one of the beloved traditional Christmas recipes of the Marathi people. It is prepared with much love and excitement at Christmas; it combines cheese and guava, giving a fudgy treat. This treat is made from guava pulp, sugar, and sometimes a little lemon juice. First, cook the guava pulp with sugar until it becomes thick and fudgy. Then, pour the mixture into moulds to cool and harden. Once it sets, cut it into squares or diamonds, and it is ready to serve and enjoy! This delicious treat is a unique part of festive celebrations in the region.
Goa’s Rose cookies
These are the flower-shaped Christmas delicacies, part of the Goan Christmas celebration. They combine all-purpose flour, coconut milk, sugar, and eggs. For extra crispiness, add some rice flour. This fusion of Indian and Portuguese influence has occurred in every Goan household during Christmas.
Gongura Mutton of Andhra Pradesh
This Andhra Christmas feast is a traditional Christmas recipe. This tangy curry is made with Gongura leaves and goat meat. It is best served with rice, biryani, naan, or roti. Aromatic spices like mustard seeds, ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds, and a blend of ground spices such as red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder add a rich and spicy aroma to the Christmas delicacies.
Vivikam cake of Puducherry
This Vivian cake is one of the best Indian Christmas dishes of Puducherry. It is a rich pleasure and delight made from Creole roots. It is a treat packed with pure ghee, soaked raisins, candied orange peels, semolina, fruits, and a boozy, generous treat. It is made with rum or Brandy, and the cake improves with age. It can be stored with rum and brandy. Enjoy every slice with warmth and happiness on Christmas Eve.
Allahabadi Cake
When discussing Christmas dishes, we do not mention this Allahabadi cake. This dessert has a delightful mystery, with the quality of melting inside the mouth. This festive confection masterfully blends the sweetness of petha (candied ash gourd) with kind rum-soaked dried fruits and crunchy nuts.
Add a luscious layer of marmalade, a big spoon of desi ghee, and a potent mix of aromatic spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, and mace, and you have a genuinely enchanting creation. Each bite is a fragrant explosion that beautifully captures the spirit of Christmas, making it an irresistible delight for the senses!
The Goan Vindaloo
Vindaloo is a delicious and spicy dish that comes from Goa again. Goa has a lot of traditional Christmas recipes to offer to the world. This is one of the choices for anyone who enjoys bold flavours. The dish is inspired by Portuguese cooking and Indian spices, making it unique. It typically includes meat soaked in vinegar and seasoned with garlic and a mix of spices, then simmered until tender and flavoured. The result is a tasty, fiery, and tangy meal you might want more!
Biryani from Indian Hearts
Biryani is the King of any Indian celebration, so why not make some steaming hot Christmas delicacies, with no exception? This royal dish is considered majestic and loved across India. It is a masterpiece of flavourful basmati rice, tender pieces of meat (vegetables and any protein), and blended aromatic spices. Every area of India has its unique rendition, making every mouthful a journey through different flavours!
Kerala’s Kulkuls
Like gingerbread cookies, a Christmas delight worldwide, especially in Western countries, Kulkuls from Kerala is India’s special holiday treat. They’re crispy, sweet, and little seashell-shaped, bringing the festive spirit to our homes. Families come together to make and enjoy these delicious bites, sharing joy and love during Christmas.
Palappam from Kerala
Palappam, or appam, is a variety of pancakes from Kerala’s culinary traditions. It is a staple breakfast dish during Christmas festivities. Palappam is made using fermented rice batter combined with coconut milk and is typically cooked in an appachatti. With a thin, crispy border and a soft, fluffy interior, palappams are best enjoyed alongside a vegetable stew.
Goan Fish & Prawn Cutlets
Make your Christmas feast irresistible with golden brown cutlets! Start by boiling your favourite fish with salt. Mix finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, turmeric, Fish fry masala, coriander, and red chilli powder in a bowl. Combine the flaked fish with this masala and stir in breadcrumbs to form a dough. Shape into rounds and deep-fry until golden brown and crispy. Serve hot with a tangy dipping sauce for a festive treat!
Milk Pudding
Start by boiling some A2 Gir cow milk in a heavy-bottomed pot, and remember to stir it often so it doesn’t stick. Once the milk reduces, add some sugar, a sprinkle of cardamom powder, and a bit of flour or semolina. Keep stirring to make sure it turns out smooth without any lumps. Cook it until it thickens up nicely, stirring regularly. Once it’s ready, let your pudding cool completely, and then put it in the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, add a lovely garnish of nuts or dried fruits! Enjoy!
On our journey through 15 traditional Christmas recipes in India, it becomes evident that this Christmas presents a vibrant array of flavours and culinary customs. Ranging from sweet and spicy to savoury and luxurious, these dishes show the richness and versatility of Indian Christmas dishes during the holiday season.
These classic food recipes satisfy appetites and play an essential role in uniting families and communities during this time of celebration. They act as a connection between cultures, enabling individuals to explore and appreciate the various ways Christmas is observed around the globe.
Observing how Christmas festivities in India have transformed, we see a blend of local ingredients and culinary methods influenced by Western traditions. This fusion has resulted in distinctive and tasty creations that are characteristically Indian while closely linked to Christmas’s essence.
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There are a few of the most popular food items eaten for Christmas in India are-
– Allahabadi cake
– Christmas cake- fruit cake specifically
– Mathri- traditional flaky biscuit
– Walnut fudge
– Jalebi
– Gulab Jamun
Christian families make a wide range of dishes at Christmas. Most dishes are Syrian and Portuguese in influence with an Indian touch. Nowadays, Biryani has become the best Christmas food for most Christian households.
Run-soaked dry fruit cake, Gongura Mutton, Kul Kuls, and Duck Moilee are some of the best Christmas food items celebrated in South India.
Plum cake, Christmas pudding, Bebinca, Nevreo, Acchappam Rose Cookies, and Doldol are some of the traditional Christmas recipes made in India.
The five most popular Christmas vegetables in Indian Christian families are primarily used for the big day.
1. Carrots
2. Broccoli
3. Potatoes
4. Cauliflower
5. Brussel Sprouts.
The majority of Indians are Hindu, but the Christian population is estimated to be around 2.3% of the total population. In India, people celebrate Bada Din, which means ‘Big Day.’
In India, Christmas is called Bada Din because initially, it was termed “burra sahibs” or the white colonials. It was Burra Din that became Bada Din.
The most popular Christmas foods are-
1. Potato roast
2. Scalloped Potatoes
3. Red velvet cake
4. Christmas nuts
Traditionally, some Indian Christians display small clay oil-burning lamps and decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves. Mango leaves are an essential tradition because the mango tree is considered sacred, and its leaves are used to decorate for every special occasion.
Biryani is a royal feast. No Indian celebration is complete without Biryani, and Christmas is no exception! This majestic dish, loved across India, is a symphony of fragrant basmati rice, succulent pieces of meat, and a blend of aromatic spices.
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