This Christmas, Try out the Secrets of Classic Syrian Christian Cooking!
Kerala is among the few states in the country to boast of a historic Christian population. It is a belief among the Christian community here that their history dates back to AD 52 when Saint Thomas visited God’s own country to preach the gospel and baptised its natives, thus giving rise to a community of Nasranis. With beliefs steeped in tradition and a history that goes back centuries, it is not surprising that the classic Christian delicacies also have an old world charm!
With Christmas right around the corner, Ritz catches up with some of the top chefs in Kochi who share native, seasonal and homemade recipes that promise to entice your taste buds!
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After the period of ‘noyumbu’ or lent, the Christmas feast is essentially a non-vegetarian extravaganza with a choice of red meat, duck, chicken and sea food delicacies. The mystical concoction of the spices and the flavour of the chief ingredient – the coconut, are some of the secrets of the traditional Syrian Christian cuisine. The tantalising delicacies listed below are served as an accompaniment with ghee rice, spring hoppers, appams or Kerala parathas.
Kuttanadan tharavu (duck) mappas
Ingredients
Curry-cut duck 150 gm
Sliced shallots 100gm
Julienned ginger 20 gm
Chopped garlic 20gm
Julienned green chilli 10gm
Curry leaves 1strips
Sliced tomato 50gm
Pepper powder 2tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Coriander powder 2tsp
Turmeric powder ½tsp
Fennel powder 1tsp
Coconut oil 25ml
Coconut milk 25ml
Salt to taste
For Tempering – In a pan of hot oil, sauté the following ingredients. The process unlocks the flavours and lends a special aroma and taste to the dish.
Mustard seed ½tsp
Sliced shallots 6 nos
Whole red chilli 3 nos
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Method
Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add ginger, garlic, shallots, sliced green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté till it turns brown. Add powder masalas and sauté for a while on low fire and then add the tomato slices. Sauté well and add the curry-cut pieces of duck. Cook on low fire and when the duck is almost done, add coconut milk and mix the contents well. Check seasoning and sauté till the gravy becomes thick. For the finale, temper mustard, shallots, red chilli and curry leaves in a pan. Add this to the curry.
Pothirachi Ularthiyathu
Buffalo Meat – 1kg
Onion – 250gm
Ginger – 15gm
Garlic – 15gm
Green chilli – 6nos
Coconut flakes – 50gm
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Fennel – ¼tsp
Cardamom – 4nos
Cinnamon – 2pcs
Cloves – 4nos
Bay leaf – 1
Coconut Oil – 50ml
Red Chilli Powder – 2tsp
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Turmeric – ½tsp
Garam Masala – 1tsp
Peppercorn crushed – ½tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Marinate the meat with a little bit of the following: ginger, garlic, whole spices, turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Add a little water and cook the red meat till it is half done. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add garam masala and green chilli along with the rest of the ginger, garlic, curry leaves, sliced onions and coconut flakes and sauté until golden brown.
Add remaining chilli, coriander and turmeric powders and sauté for a minute. Now add the cooked meat into this mixture and stir well. Check seasoning and sauté till dry. Finish with fennel powder and crushed black pepper corn.
Natholi Fry
Anchovy (natholi) 200gm
Chilli powder 1tbsp
Turmeric powder ½ tbsp.
Ginger garlic paste ½ tbsp.
Black pepper powder ½ tbsp
Rice flour 1 tbsp
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Red chillies 2 nos
Onion 1
Crushed garlic 1
Curry leaf 1 strip
Coconut oil For frying
Method:
Marinate the fish with ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, rice flour, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the fish on a medium flame. Garnish with fried onion, curry leaf, red chilli and crushed garlic.
Recipes contributed by Chef Rejimon PR, Crowne Plaza, Kochi
The Coconut Milk is a crucial component of Syrian Christian cooking. Coconut milk powder is available in the market but homemade coconut milk can be made by grinding the grated coconut with 2 tbsp of water in a grinder and extracting the juice from the mixture by manually squeezing it and sieving it to get the liquid content or coconut milk. This is called the 1st extraction. To the squeezed coconut mixture, add the required water (as per the recipe) and repeat the process (grinding, squeezing, sieving) to get a second extraction and then, the third extraction. The liquid becomes more dilute with each extraction.
Traditional Palappam
Rice flour 900gm
Semolina 80gm
Toddy 150ml or yeast 2gm
Salt to taste
Sugar 60gm
Coconut milk 120 ml
Water 900ml
Method:
Soak the semolina in a pan with 800 ml water and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring it till it reaches a thick consistency. Turn off the fire and allow it to cool.
Next, mix rice powder, sugar, salt and fermenting agent. Add this into the prepared semolina batter. Add water and bring in to a thick consistency and keep the batter aside for 8 to 10 hours for fermentation.
Once it ferments, add the coconut milk into the batter and mix well until it reaches a loose pouring consistency. Heat an ‘appa chatti’ or round non-stick pan/‘kadai with lid. Pour a ladle full of batter on to the hot pan. Wait for 5 seconds. Hold both handles and rotate the pan till the batter spreads evenly.
Cover the pan, turn down the heat and cook for about two minutes or until the sides are crisp and golden brown in colour and the centre, a little ‘puffed’ up. Serve hot!
Syrian Irachi Curry
Buffalo meat cubes 1000gm
Coconut flakes 30gm
Onion sliced 250gm
Julienned ginger 20gm
Sliced garlic 15gm
Green chilli 40gm
Curry leaves 20gm
Chilli powder 20gm
Coriander powder 30gm
Turmeric powder 5gm
Pepper powder 5gm
Garam masala powder 15gm
Fennel powder 20gm
Coconut oil 100gm
Coconut milk 1st extraction 70ml
Coconut milk 2nd extraction 140ml
Coconut milk 3rd extraction 300ml
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat coconut oil in a pan, sauté ginger, garlic, green chili, curry leaves, and onion till golden brown. Then add masala powders, stir a while and put the meat cubes and fry for a minute. As the water starts to trickle from the meat, add third extraction of coconut milk in to it and simmer till the meat is half done, then add second extraction of coconut milk. Simmer till the meat is well done. Finally add first extraction of coconut milk and turn off the flame. Temper with mustard and shallots.
Chicken stew
Chicken cubes 1000gm
Carrot 100gm
Potato 200gm
Coconut milk 1st extraction 200ml
Coconut milk 2nd extraction 300ml
Coconut milk 3rd extraction 500ml
Cinnamon sticks 8gm
Cardamom 6gm
Cloves 4gm
Coconut oil 100ml
Curry leaves 30gm
Onion 250 gm
Ginger 20gm
Green chili 40gm
Cashew 30gm
Raisins 10 gm
Fried onion 5gm
Salt to taste
Method:
Heat pan and pour coconut oil. Crackle the spices, add green chilli, ginger, sliced onion and curry leaves and sauté till tender. Pour 3rd extraction coconut milk and cubed vegetables and chicken cubes. Simmer for few minutes till the vegetables and chicken are tender. Add second extraction of coconut milk and simmer till the meat is done. Finally reduce the flame, add the first extraction of coconut milk and stir well. Top with coconut oil and curry leaves. Garnish with fried onions, cashew, raisins and curry leaves.
Recipes Contributed by Chef Saji Alex of Kochi Marriott, Kochi
Cake and Wine are synonymous to Christmas and the festive recipes can’t possibly be complete without them! The Orange Rum Glazed Fruit Cake is a light fruit cake which requires the fruits to be soaked but just for a couple of days. This is a simple Christmas fruit cake perfect for home bakers.
Orange Rum Glazed Fruit Cake
Butter (salted) – 500gm
Powdered sugar – 600gm
Maida – 500 gm
Baking Powder – 1.5tsp
Eggs – 5
Orange zest – 1 tbsp
Orange juice – 2 tbsp
Raisins – 200gm
Orange peel – 100gm (store bought or fresh peel chopped)
Chopped nuts – 200gm (either cashew or almond or walnuts)
Apricots chopped 50 gm
Mixed spice powder – 1½tsp (ground cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)
Honey – ¼cup
Dark Rum – 2 tbsp plus additional ½ cup for soaking
For the Orange glaze:
Orange juice – 1 cup
Powdered sugar – 2 cups
Rum – 1 tbsp
Method:
Mix the fruits and nuts with spice powder and half cup of rum and refrigerate for a couple of days.
Sieve maida with the baking powder. Next beat the butter in one direction until fluffy. Add sugar powder little by little at a time and continue to beat until it doubles in volume. Beat in the eggs lightly one at a time.
Mix maida with fruits and add to the batter along with honey, orange juice, orange zest and remaining rum. Pour into a greased and lined tray. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow it to cool. Top with warm orange glaze.
For the glaze:
Mix orange juice, sugar powder and rum and cook over medium flame until it becomes thick. Pour it while it is warm over the cake.
Traditional Homemade Red Wine
The following ingredients of the traditional red wine, once mixed, need to be stored in a ceramic ‘Bharani’ of 10L capacity that comes with a loose wooden lid. The Bharani needs to be washed and sun dried before use.
Black grapes – 1 kg
Sugar – 1Kg
Boiled and cooled water – 3.5 L
Yeast – 1 tsp
Wheat grain – 1 tbsp
Method:
Wash and drain the black grapes well and place it in the Bharani. Add the sugar and squeeze both vigorously making sure that each grape is mashed well. When the sugar has dissolved, add water, yeast and wheat. Stir well and close with wooden lid making sure that only three fourth of the container is filled. There needs to be space for the contents to ferment and rise. Cover the wooden lid with cheese cloth and tie the neck of the container to avoid any contamination. Store in a dark and cool place for 21 days without moving it. After 21 days, gently open it, making sure not to shake or stir it. Sieve the contents by tilting it gently to get clear red wine which needs to be stored in clean, dry, dark coloured bottles in a cool dry place.
Optional: For amber coloured wine, add caramel syrup to the red wine.
For the caramel syrup – Heat 1 cup sugar in a pan till it becomes honey coloured, add one cup of water to make the syrup. Add this to the sieved red wine before bottling it. Store in bottles and keep aside for another 12 to 15 days before consumption so that it matures and acquires colour.
Choconut Caramel Cheese Cake is the perfect finale to the grand Christmas spread. The recipe has a contemporary twist with a rich blend of fresh cream, cream cheese, condensed milk, chocolate and nuts on a crunchy base – the ultimate indulgence!
For the base:
Marie Biscuits – 200gms
Butter – 100gm
Powdered sugar – 2tbsp
Chopped almonds – 2tbsp to half cup
Powder biscuits and gently mix with butter, sugar powder and almonds until you get a crunchy texture. Use mixture to line a loose bottomed pan and chill in a freezer for 5 to 10 minutes or till it sets.
For the Filling:
Cream cheese – 1 cup
Fresh cream (beaten) – 1 cup
Gelatin – 2 tbsp
Water – ¼cup
Condensed Milk – 1 tin
Egg Yolk – 3
Dark chocolate, melted – ½ cup plus 3 tbsp for topping
Mix condensed milk with yolk and gelatin (dissolved in water) and cook over medium heat until thick. Allow it to cool. Add cream cheese, fresh cream and melted chocolate (half cup) and gently fold in. Pour over the cooled crust and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for half an hour or until set.
For Caramel Sauce:
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Milk – 2 tbsp
Butter – 1 tbsp
Caramelised almonds chopped – ½ cup
Heat sugar in a pan until honey coloured, add butter and when it sizzles, add milk and cook until lightly thick. Stir in almonds and pour while its still warm over the set cheese cake. Finish by drizzling melted chocolate using a piping bag.
Recipes by Mrs. Anitha Issac, Manna Cookery School, Kochi.
