The food of the Anglo-Indian community, which is concentrated in areas like Chennai, Uttarakhand, and Calcutta, is underappreciated. The traditional Easter delights combine the best elements of Indian and European cuisine traditions with local consumption habits.
Easter is when the Catholic community indulges and celebrates the best parts of the diverse culinary offerings after the strict 40-day fast known as Lent. Traditions have a big impact on the food that is prepared to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, regardless of where in India a person lives. The Anglo-Indian population appears to have a full culinary universe that draws inspiration from both local and western cultures, resulting in a fusion that showcases the best aspects of both. This Easter, organise your celebratory menu by getting ideas from the fantastic dishes that have been particularly prepared.
Cucumber Soup (with Pepper Water)
The traditional Anglo-Indian “soup,” also known as pepper water, is mulligatawny, which has intriguing roots in South Indian cuisine and roughly translates to milagai thanni in Tamil. The soup, which is a byproduct of colonialism in India and Indian rasam, is slightly different from the spicy-tangy dish that is typically served with rice. Relatively milder than its Indian equivalent, the soup also includes celery, curry powder, and chicken broth.
Ball Striker
The Anglo-Indian meatball curry, also known as ball curry, gets its name from the variety of kofta curries that are popular in Indian culture. Pork is the preferred protein in the community’s traditional version of the recipe, which calls for making luscious meatballs that are cooked in a coconut milk gravy spiced with curry powder. As a tribute to Indian culture, the ball curry also incorporates a teaspoon of garam masala and is best enjoyed with freshly baked bread, kedgeree, or beresta pulao.
Chutney the Devil
The devil chutney, also known as hell’s flaming chutney, is a hot condiment that is a staple around Easter. It is made simply with strong tastes from garlic, onions, and scorching red chilli powder. While the ingredients are being ground, raisins and tamarind pulp are added, along with a few teaspoons of vinegar, to counterbalance these intense flavours. Devil chutney, enjoyed as a condiment to give roasted meats, breads, and even stews a burst of flavour, is another Anglo-Indian classic for those who enjoy spicy food.
Sambari chicken
The use of East Indian bottle masala, a special combination of more than 35–40 different spices, combined with tamarind pulp, pearl onions, and ginger-garlic paste, sets this curry recipe apart from traditional chicken curries. Sambari was traditionally created using the leftover heat from burning embers from a wood-fired chulha, and it was enjoyed with fugiyas, or deep-fried leavened breads, and appams. The curry’s rich taste and succulent chunks of beef are the result of the slow cooking process.
For the Anglo-Indians, breakfast is just as important as dinner, even though a lavish feast is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the holiday. A variety of meats, including chicken and pork, as well as vegetables, like cabbage and carrots, are used in the buffarth, or hotch-potch stew, reflecting the casualness with which Anglo-Indian cuisine developed. This breakfast treat, which goes best with bread or buns, is regarded as one of the essential Easter Sunday preparations.
Rice with coconuts
In contrast to the simpler versions made in Maharashtra or South India using rice, coconut, and seasoning spices, the Anglo-Indian version is unmatched. Long, fragrant grains of basmati rice are cooked in a mixture of whole spices- and coconut milk. This is usually eaten with the ball curry and is a fluffy, almost sweet dish topped with fried onions. With its vivid yellow hue, the coconut rice creates a striking contrast to the sombre browns and intense reds of other customary Easter meal preparations.