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History of Easter in India
Easter is a big holiday for Christians all over the world. It takes place on a Sunday and remembers how Jesus Christ came back to life after being crucified, as told in the Bible. Palm Sunday starts the holy week leading up to Easter, and Good Friday is two weeks before that. During this time, churchgoers gather to hear readings from the Gospels, reflecting on the life and teachings of Jesus.
In India, Easter is celebrated with Lent leading up to Easter Sunday, and the holiday is most popular among Christians in Mumbai, Goa, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. The churches in these areas are adorned with decorations, and the Easter Bunny and decorative eggs are symbols of the holiday, although the tradition of decorating eggs is not commonly practiced in India.
Traditional Easter dishes in India
India celebrates Easter with many different traditional dishes that vary from region to region. In Goa, the traditional Easter dish is sorpotel, a spicy pork dish made with pork liver, heart, and other organs. In Kerala, the traditional Easter dish is appam and stew, which is a rice pancake served with a vegetable or meat stew. In Tamil Nadu, the traditional Easter dish is kulambu, a spicy tamarind-based curry.
Preparing an Indian Easter Lunch
Easter is a time to remember that Christ rose from the dead. It is also the end of the vegetarian fast and the start of a delicious feast. Christians in South India, attend the sunrise service at church before indulging in a typical Indian breakfast comprising appams and a chicken curry prepared with coconut milk. Afterwards, the children proceed to the backyard to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt. Subsequently, the elders either sit on the grass or return inside to read Scripture while the kids unwrap each egg, which has loads of candy inside of it.
Marzipan Easter eggs
Marzipan Easter eggs are a popular gift all over the world. They represent Jesus' empty tomb after he rose from the dead. The recipe typically involves mixing egg white, almonds, sugar, and rose water to make a confection called Marzipan. The mixture is then formed into egg-shaped balls and topped with royal icing for decoration. No details are left out when making this delicious treat.
Hot Cross Buns
These hot cross buns are a combination of a dinner roll and a cinnamon roll. They are soft but dense, and they have a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in them. You can change the taste of the recipe by changing the spice mix and adding cardamom, orange zest, or candied orange peel. Brown sugar is the primary sweetener, and the buns are topped with a shiny orange icing. Although the recipe calls for raisins, currants are traditionally used, but they were not available this year.
Homemade Grape Wine
In Kerala and Goa, making homemade wine is a traditional way of celebrating special occasions. The grape wine recipe involves only a few ingredients, such as sweet black grapes, sugar, and either dry yeast or whole wheat. The mixture of grapes, sugar, and yeast is left in a container for approximately three weeks and then filtered into a separate jar. To enhance the wine's color, burnt sugar can be added periodically.
Anglo-style Ball Curry and Coconut Rice
During Easter, ball curry is a popular dish among the Anglo-Indian population. It is a delicious and spicy gravy made with minced meat koftas, along with spices such as ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and masalas like turmeric powder, red chili powder, jeera powder, and coriander powder. You can make yellow coconut pulao rice by cooking rice along with shredded coconut and spices.
Kerala Style Chicken Curry with rice pancakes
Chicken curry and Pallapam, or soft, lace-like pancakes made with fresh toddy or dried active yeast, can be had for lunch. The pancake is served with a chicken curry that is slow-cooked with Kerala spices until the chicken is tender and juicy. Coconut milk is added to the curry once the meat is cooked.
Goan Style- Sorpotel and Sanna
A well-known choice in Mangalore and Goa is Sorpotel and Sanna. Sorpotel, also known as Sarapatel, is a dish that has its roots in Portugal and is commonly prepared in Mumbai among the East Indians, as well as in Goa and Mangalore. The dish contains meat and offal, which are first boiled and then diced and sautéed before being cooked in a sauce made with vinegar. In Goa and Mangalore, Sorpotel is frequently served with Sanna, which is a soft, white, and sweet coconut and rice bread that is steamed.
Naga Pork Curry
Naga Pork Curry, from Nagaland, is renowned for its delightful aroma and taste, and it is made with only six ingredients: smoked pork, soya beans, dried red chili, powdered mejenga seeds, and chopped ginger.
