Christmas recipes: Utterly sweetalicious Goan treats

We continue our special series on traditional Christmas recipes from Christian communities around India.

Ivan Crasto offers his family’s recipe for Goan semolina cake and Chocolate Fudge.

ALSO SEE

Christmas recipe: How to make Pork Roast 

Christmas recipe: How to make Madras Mutton Curry

Christmas recipe: How to make Milk Pudding 

Christmas recipe: How to make Raan Roast

Come December and only Christmas is on our minds.

That's if you grew up in Mumbai, when it was Bombay, or Goa; when there was no restriction or ban on anything, from drinking to dancing late into the night!

You look back and think about how, as a kid, you helped your parents decorate the house, put up the Christmas tree, make the crib, prepare festive delicacies like Baath, Bebinca, Neoroeos, kulkuls, Milk Toffee, Guava Cheese.

And, yes, Santa Claus -- the toys he would leave on your window -- the midnight mass and the Christmas dances that followed.

Sweets like Baath, Bebinca and Milk Toffee are a must in any Goan family; preparing them got one into the Christmas mood as Mother had to get started at least a couple of weeks in advance.

You can get into the Christmas spirit by trying out this simple traditional Goan cake. It shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes.

Baath (Traditional Goan cake)

Image: Courtesy Chef Mireille

Ingredients

• 125 gm semolina or rava
• 125 gm desiccated coconut
• 250 gm granular sugar
• 150 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 eggs

Method

• In a pot mix the sugar, milk, butter and heat up.
• Once sugar dissolves, remove and add the rava and put back on the heat and cook for few minutes.
• Add desiccated coconut. Cool for some time.
• Add baking powder. Beat eggs and add to the mixture.
• Pour the batter into a cake tin and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes or till done.

Chocolate fudge

Image: Virginia Hill/Creative Commons

Ingredients

• 1 tin condensed milk
• 8 tbsp walnuts
• 100 gm cashew nuts
• 4 tbsp cherries
• 100 gm butter
• 200 gm sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 2 tbsp drinking chocolate
• Few drops vanilla essence

Method

• Take a little butter and fry the cashew nuts, walnuts and keep aside.
• In a pot put the condensed milk and sugar and mix well with 3/4 cup milk, adding the drinking chocolate and cocoa to make a smooth paste. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon till thick.
• Add vanilla, nuts and cherries.
• When the mixture begins to leave the side of the pot while it boils add the butter.
• After two minutes pour it out into a tin container or on a board and cut into blocks.

Note: The sugar must dissolve completely before adding the cocoa. Add two tbsp fresh milk to dissolve the sugar. More milk may be added if sugar is not dissolved.

ALSO SEE

Christmas recipe: How to make Pork Roast 

Christmas recipe: How to make Madras Mutton Curry

Christmas recipe: How to make Milk Pudding 

Christmas recipe: How to make Raan Roast

You can send us your favourite party recipes too. Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Party recipes) with your name, hometown and any interesting details about the origin of the recipe, along with a photograph if possible. We'll publish the best preparations right here on Rediff.com and in India Abroad.

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