Fri Dec 20 11:48:48 UTC 2024: ## Mumbai’s East Indian Community Keeps Culinary Traditions Alive at Christmas

**Mumbai, India (December 20, 2024)** – For Mumbai’s East Indian Catholic community, Christmas is more than just a holiday; it’s a vibrant celebration of their unique culinary heritage, passed down through generations. This year, as many families prepare for festivities, the focus is on preserving these centuries-old traditions, particularly as modernization transforms the city.

Alefiya Jane, preparing Christmas cakes in her soon-to-be-redeveloped ancestral home in Uttan, exemplifies this commitment. Her family’s Christmas feasts, featuring dishes like pork vindaloo, salted meat, and arroz fugad, reflect the blend of Portuguese, Marathi, and Konkani influences shaping East Indian cuisine. The variety extends to other communities within the group, with Koli Christians emphasizing seafood and Samavedi Christians highlighting seasonal produce from their agrarian roots.

Natasha and Veera Almeida, of The House of Jevayla Ye, are actively working to preserve these traditions through their family business, crafting homemade masalas, pickles, and dried fish. They highlight unique customs, such as enjoying Gauti chicken soup after midnight mass and starting Christmas morning with fugias and bucha vare. Their Christmas lunch typically centers around indyal, a pork dish made with their signature bottle masala, often served with kadak pav.

The importance of sharing is underscored by the community’s tradition of kuswar, a tray of homemade sweets and savories shared with neighbours, including those in mourning. The festivities culminate not on Christmas Day, but with the Feast of the Three Kings on January 6th and the Kashimira Feast on Boxing Day, a traditionally significant community gathering.

Deborah Rosario, a UK resident, reminisces about lavish childhood Christmases in Bandra, highlighting the increasing effort within the community to preserve recipes, often combining traditional practices with modern conveniences. While much of East Indian cuisine remains a home-based affair, it’s this very intimacy that contributes to its charm, preserving a culinary identity interwoven with Mumbai’s history.

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