for families and friends to bond over a lavish spread of traditional and exotic
dishes. The menu for a traditional Christmas day lunch boasts an array of
tantalising meats whose tempting aromas waft out of the kitchen all morning. It
is a stunning display of the culinary prowess that Goan cuisine is renowned
for, a meal to look forward to and savour every bite of. Roast chicken,
pigling, cabidela, sorpotel and beef roulade are paired with sannas, pulao and
wine. The plethora of delectable Christmas sweets that the community starts
preparing well in advance, such as kulkuls, bebinca and bolinhas, are served as
part of a rich and delightful dessert platter guaranteed to satisfy one’s sweet
tooth.
Sharing
a meal on Christmas is a tradition that is followed by many families. It evokes
a feeling of nostalgia and reminds people of their childhood. Their favourite
dishes are often linked to precious memories of Christmases gone by, and are
reminiscent of enduring familial bonds. Other foods like sorpotel and bebinca
are so closely associated with Christmas for several people, such that their
lunch tables feel incomplete without them. For Goans of all generations, a
hearty Christmas feast is a true highlight of the festive season.
Dr Fatima Da Silva Gracias, Panjim
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For Christmas lunch every year, we used to
make various dishes (may not be same everytime). These were a fish dish either
baked or mixed with home made mayonnaise, pigling cabidela, roast chicken/
roast pork, and pulau. The Christmas lunch also included chicken xacuti,
bacalhau, salads and sannas. One of the dishes that I remember eating on
Christmas day of my childhood was a stew made of three meats: pork, chicken and
beef with peas and potatoes. The dish was covered with a layer of puffed pastry.
There were also a number of Goan Christmas sweets such as kulkuls, bebinca,
pasteis de Santa Clara, batica, doce de grao, dodol, and neureos among others.
Dulcin Rodrigues, Mapusa
My favourite Christmas
dishes are beef chilli, Russian salad and a glass of red wine. I like the beef
chilli because it’s not a very traditional dish, it’s a bit unique and Chinese
inspired. Russian salad is made using several fruits and vegetables, and the
addition of mayonnaise gives it a nice and creamy texture. Christmas is a time
where families gather and foster a spirit of togetherness. Such lunches remind
me of my close family, like my son and my daughter-in-law even when they’re not
here. In my younger days, when I lived in Parel, my family used to make a
variety of Christmas sweets together in the kitchen. I used to enjoy making
sweets like neureos and kulkuls with my parents and my sisters. We would set up
a mat with the food and invite neighbors of other faiths to come over and enjoy
the sweets.”
Marina Carvalho, Paliem, Ucassaim
My favourite Christmas lunch includes
Sorpatel and sannas. For the sorpotel, I first boil the meat and liver, cut
into smaller pieces and fry it. I make an ambot tik masala and boil the meat
along with it to make a tasty sorpotel. For the sannas, I grind soaked rice,
mix it with toddy and leave it overnight to ferment. Everybody likes the
combination of Sorpatel and sannas. I was taught these recipes by my mother
when I was 20 years old. I’m 82 now, but I can still remember all the recipes
she taught me. I cook them every Christmas, including beef assado, puris and
pork roast. I also like eating biryani, but I prefer cooking pulao with green
peas on Christmas day, because it pairs well with the other dishes.”
Golan Fernandes, Desterro, Vasco
One of my favorite Christmas dishes is
pan-fried chicken with spicy capsicum and chili seasoning. I love the
combination of the tender, juicy meat with the crispy outside made up of
cornstarch and refined flour, and the savory stuffing. I usually serve the chicken
with french fries, which are freshly fried. Another thing I love about
pan-fried chicken is that it is a dish that can be enjoyed by the whole family
at the dinner table, as it can be easily adapted to suit different tastes and
dietary requirements. I also love the tradition of serving it on Christmas Day
and the sense of occasion that comes with it. I prefer to be simmered at a low
temperature, which helps to keep it moist and flavorful. I add various spices
such as chili, pepper, jalapenos, capsicum, garlic, and black pepper. I also
like to thicken it with a mixture of melted butter, onions, and coriander to
add an extra layer of flavor.
Svetlana Da Costa, Saligao
My favourite Christmas dish is batk, a
coconut cake that we eat for dessert. I like batk because its taste is what I
associate with Christmas throughout the years, thinking about it gives off a
Christmas vibe. I have fond memories of when my grandmother, sister and I would
bake these at midnight every Christmas season. My grandmother churns the batk
cake mixture with her own hands, each time we prepare it. I made a lot of
memories having funny conversations with them in the kitchen and of us ending
up playing cards while we are waiting for the cake to bake. You know that the
batk is well baked when it has grainy texture with a golden crisp coating on
the outside.
Nikita Nogar, Panjim
There’s nothing I
love more than coconut bolinhas! Bolinhas are one of those amazing Goan sweets
that become especially popular during the Christmas season. They are these
delicious little cookies made from semolina and coconut, making them crispy on
the outside but softer on the inside. Bolinhas are an integral part of every
Christmas dessert platter, it’s just not complete without them. Every year I
used to eagerly wait for Christmas because, and nothing can convince me
otherwise, my grandmother used to make the best bolinhas ever! Every Christmas
Day we would go to my grandmother’s house, and after ripping open our Christmas
gifts, we would all eat Christmas sweets together.
