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Studying in a convent school, I had an opportunity to interact and be taught by Saint Thomas Christians, also known as Syrian Christians of India (or Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani, Malankara Nasrani, or Nasrani Mappila) - an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians from Kerala or the Malabar region.
Historically, St Thomas Christians have been a part of the hierarchy of the Church of the East, but today, they stand divided into various groups - Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, independent bodies, and Protestants. The community of Syrian Christians is a melange of Christian faith and local traditions. Their culinary heritage is also equally diverse and deserves stand-alone coverage.
I have relished Christmas cake several times, but I never got the chance to witness 40 days of fasting, penance, and worship followed by the Easter feast. What I missed out on as a kid, I am making up the most for it as a journalist.
As a food writer for Slurrp, I get the chance to interact with people across cultures and ethnicities and understand their lives and rituals a little better through their kitchens and food preferences (a dream job, I know!). Any festival that is celebrated across the world has a unique connection with food as it brings together families and friends.
The concept of cultures and cuisines intertwined with each other has always been a point of fascination for me. To learn more about how Syrian Christians celebrate Easter, I connected with Chef Regi Mathew, a renowned name in Bengaluru and Chennai. His restaurant, Kappa Chakka Kandhari, has introduced locals and tourists to the cuisine of Kerala in the capitals of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
Traditional Easter Dishes Prepared In Syrian Christian Households
Easter mornings begin with appam and stew, the most popular breakfast option in Kerala. It is accompanied by duck mappas (curry) and Borma bread. “We often have brunches on Easter around 10:30 am,” explained Chef Regi while listing other dishes - duck mappas, fish moilee, appam, beans or cabbage thoran, pickles, caramel custard, Kudampuli fish curry, red rice, fish curry, kachimoru, pork fry, pazham nanachathu, vattayappam, and chicken or duck roast.
More often than not, breakfast and lunch combine during Easter as he enjoys a scrumptious brunch with his family. He also mentioned that they indulge in black coffee and boiled eggs after the midnight mass. "There is no religious association with the food, it’s all about hyperlocal ingredients and cuisine. However, mappas are something that we make during Easter or any other celebration,” he added.
With culinary experience spanning over three decades, Chef Regi Mathew still prefers to prepare traditional dishes for Easter celebrations at his restaurants. If I were to guess, these delicacies have a familiar chord that strikes the customers, makes them feel at home, and leaves them reliving their childhood.
Duck Mappas: An Easter Speciality At Chef Regi Mathew’s House
There is one dish associated with every festival, without which celebrations seem incomplete. For Chef Regi Mathew and his family, it is duck mappas during Easter. “We source the ducks well in advance to get our hands on the best quality, and let them grow in the backyard of our house,” he explains.
The chef has a tradition of buying the duck from Kuttanadu, Kerala. He said that the best ones are found there. For fish moilee, the produce is sourced fresh from the local market on the day of Easter. He added, “Festive feast is all about everyone coming together, putting in effort, and preparing the food. We all help each other and enjoy the banquet.”
