Seniors in the city reveal what Christmas was like in their youth

On a bright winter afternoon 93yearold Beryl Cardoz awaits Team midday in her Bandra apartment Photos of three generations of her family spread worldwide adorn the grey walls and white lace curtains attempt to sheathe little pots of green that Cardoz is nurturing ldquoItrsquos a small placerdquo she says welcoming us with a cheery smileWe take a seat at the circular dining table covered with a red printed tablecloth on which shersquos laid out the bibic a Goan layered dessert made with eggs coconut milk ghee and flour ready for us to shoot ldquoI havenrsquot made it I donrsquot cook anymore but itrsquos my reciperdquo she tells us proudly ldquoWe used to make it in circular pans when they were made on the stove before ovens came in I learnt it from my grandmother who would cook each of the 11 layers with coals on top It required patiencerdquo she recalls93yearold Bandrabased Goan catholic Beryl Cardoz is looking forward to the Christmas lunch with her grandkids PicsAnurag AhireBorn in Iran and raised in Hubli Cardoz was 17 when she moved to Mumbai to study and work ldquoIt was August 14 1947rdquo she remembers ldquoa day before India got its independence and there was such a spirited feeling in the air We come from a family where education is of prime importance and in those days many would come to Bombay for better options Most of my cousins were teachers but my aunt who worked in the telephone company said I could come to the city and be something else I did a shorthand and typing secretaryrsquos course from Colaba and worked at Macmillan Publishers for almost seven years until I got marriedMy husband was a scratchboard artist one of the best in India and he worked as art director for Bensons for most of his liferdquo When her youngest son Brett turned seven she joined Air India followed by Centaur Hotel at the airport as project manager and then heading the housekeeping department as newer hotels opened across the country handling important events ldquoIt was fun meeting peoplemdashBrazilian footballer Peleacute came there once and the Indian cricket team was there another time My daughter has photos with captain Tony Greg and the England cricket team in 1977rdquoRetired at 58 Cardoz feels she had a good life During Christmas at the hotel shersquod put up the best decorations and involve carol singers taking the holiday spirit from home to work ldquoWe used to make kulkuls jam tarts and date rollsrdquo she says ldquoCakes were a must as were marzipans and milk creams stored in big containers Bibic was my speciality When you are young and your mother and grandmother make it you are not bothered itrsquos only when you start a family and begin making it that it becomes your thing I had an oven from abroad that heated from the top too and thatrsquos how we could make bibic in the oven Otherwise it gets burntrdquo Cardoz remembers her days at Virendra a large society in Bandra across the St Andrewrsquos church with 42 flats where everyone would sing carols together There was a Christmas tree and party for children under 14 in the compound as they were not allowed at the party for adults upstairsldquoMy sister would come from England and wersquod put up a Christmas tree at home and there was so much fun and laughter with everyone aroundrdquo she says ldquoIt was a whole different experience The Christmas cake was a mustmdashI started making it later and once you get into baking cakes there is no way out My daughter too has made lots of traditional cakes for people She was a Bandra girl We used to make it simple now people add creams and frostings the true essence of a Christmas cake is lost I am glad my daughterinlaw Barkha also makes them in the US It makes me happy at least my children have carried on the cake traditionrdquoHilda Pereirarsquos favourite pastime is to solve mid day puzzles For Christmas her pork sorpotel is everyonersquos favouriteAs we nibble the slivers of bebic she has neatly cut for us Cardoz brings out her recipe book It is a treasure trove of dishes she has collected made and mastered over the years ldquoAll my masalas are here and so are the improvised versions of the recipes I have made I have given everyone a copy of the book and kept the originalrdquo she smiles Looking at the photos on the wall Cardoz gets a little tearyeyed ldquoThatrsquos all wersquove got nowrdquo she tells us wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief This year her grandson the late chef Floyd Cardozrsquos youngest son Justin and his mother Barkha will come down from New York to spend Christmas with her ldquoI am looking forward to thatrdquo she says ldquoWersquoll have pork vindaloo pork sorpotel a tiger prawn dish that my son Brett and his wife Bev are getting over therersquos sannas and roast duck salad and sides from OPedro and a chocolate strawberry cake from Maska bakeryrdquo she says with a smile as we wave her goodbye but not before noting down her recipe for bebicIt takes a villageAfter passing through a labyrinth of bylanes dotted with altars we reached 86yearold Hilda Pereirarsquos home in Olleria an east Indian settlement at Marol that is probably as old or older than the St Johnrsquos the Evangelist Church originally built 400 years ago This is where Pereira was born and her father gifted the house to her four decades ago Pereira has just finished the midday word search a daily ritual that she enjoys and keeps her mind sharp in her eighth decade The room we were sitting in was her motherrsquos kitchen Pereira points to where the stove used to be and says ldquoShe used to do the stirring for dal sweetsmdashitrsquos a tiring process Itrsquos the same with guava cheese and dodol a sweet made with jaggery and rice flour both favourites Wersquod then lay the mixture out in large trays and cut them into diamonds or squaresrdquoThe charm of Christmas lies in making traditional homemade sweets along with the family and sharing it with neighboursDays before Christmas Pereira a teacher at Holy Family School for 43 years would help neighbours prepare nevris and other sweets and distribute them in the community in the morning ldquoWe call it koswad itrsquos like Diwali faraalrdquo she informs us ldquoNow only a few families make it mainly those with an older person at home Others order it that too just enough for their homes There is no sharing anymore Wersquod even go carol singing from home to home in a group Even the midnight mass isnrsquot at midnight anymore it happens at 830 pm Back in the day wersquod come home and have cake coffee and rum We make wine at home and have previous yearsrsquo batchrdquoPereira remembers going to her cousinrsquos terrace for dances ldquoThatrsquos why No one wants to give the space for redevelopment There is a sense of belonging and unity hererdquo she says of her neighbourhood Christmas lunches meant pork sorpotel or vindaloo along with other meat dishes For now shersquos shared the recipe for East Indian sorpotel passed down through generationsCarrying Jesus in your heartIn September 2024 theyrsquoll celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary For Kalina residents Austin and Cecelia Pinto itrsquos been a beautiful ride together since they first met in 1962 at a pharmaceutical company where they both workedCecelia fondly called Bullu is a East Indian originally from Bandra and remembers watching plays at the Great Indian Peninsula Institute opposite Carmel Convent School ldquoThe place is now a restaurantrdquo she says dismissingly Austin a Mangalorean who lived in Byculla used to go for midnight mass at Gloria Church and then head to a coffee party at a friendrsquos place Christmas dances were at Byculla Railway Mechanics Ground now closed or at Dr Antonio Da Silva High school at Dadar a favourite after they got married Catholic and Bandra Gymkhanas were other favoured ones theyrsquod go to in groups ldquoWe jived and did the foxtrotmdashit was all so classic and beautifulrdquo says CeceliaLunch at home would be potato chops a pork dish and mutton tongue roast with fluffy sannas ordered in ldquoI started cooking the Mangalorean way after I got marriedrdquo says Cecelia ldquoBefore that she couldnrsquot even fry an eggrdquo smiles Austin ldquoI made everything but the sannas just wasnrsquot my thingrdquo she says adding ldquoI made cakes marzipans milk cream and date rolls but not dal sweet and guava cheesemdashit required too much stirring My three children helped with kulkuls and nevris Before the new year my sweets would get overrdquo she says proudlyAustin and Cecelia moved to Kolivery near the Our Lady Of Egypt Church before they shifted to Arvind Nagar where they have been living for close to 50 years now ldquoThings were quite expensive hererdquo she remembers ldquoWe had to bring everything from outside but I remember Kalina from when it was a paddy field I was a little girl who had come in her daddyrsquos red classic car for his cousinrsquos wedding East Indian wedding celebrations last seven days There were stables all around My father was a municipal councillor and little kids would run behind his carrdquoAustin tells us how theyrsquod got to the church ground for mass every year ldquoNow we can barely walkrdquo he says grimly ldquoI miss going out at any time to meet friends I also miss the days leading to Christmas when we would get into prep mode We used to make sweets as a family now we go to the shop and buy Itrsquos not the same anymorerdquo he addsFor years Cecilia would make the Old Man out of hay to burn at New Yearlsquos eve dressed in Austinrsquos old clothes This Goan tradition is replicated throughout the countrymdashit represents the sorrows of the year gone by to be burned away The entire building would do this and then party on the terrace till wee hoursAustin concludes with ldquoIt was simplemdashstars and cribs were made of paper and hay hymns were practised till our throats got sore old decorations were put out with new fervour and the Lord was the centre of it all Maybe if we try it again that way Christmas might be the same after allrdquoCeceliarsquos potato chopsIngredients12 kg potatoes boiled peeled and mashed1 egg12 cup bread crumbsOil for fryingFor stuffing12 kg meat2 sprigs of pudina2 green chillies1 12 tsp gingergarlic paste2 medium onions50 gms carrots12 tsp chilli powder1 12 tsp coriander powder12 tsp garam masala12 tsp jeera powderA pinch of kasuri methiA pinch of saffron powder1 tsp vinegarOilMethodHeat oil fry mince and keep aside To the same pan add more oil chopped onions chillies and ginger garlic paste Sauteacute for a few minutesAdd finely chopped mint leaves garam masala powder chilli powder and a pinch of saffron powder Cook well until the raw smell of the masalas is goneAdd the mince and fry for some time Lastly add coriander leaves kasuri methi and water and little vinegar Cook well until the meat is dry Allow it to cool down completelyTake mashed potatoes in palm of hand and form a cup Spoon in a tablespoon of the cooked mince mixture Close to make patties Dip in egg roll in bread crumbs and shallow fry Serve piping hotBerylrsquos bibicIngredients900 gms maida20 egg yolksMilk from two coconuts900 gms sugar12 tsp nutmegMethodMelt sugar and flour and pour in the coconut milk Mix till sugar dissolves Strain and add nutmeg Add yolks and mix well Bake in layers with top heating keeping a close watch on each layerHildarsquos sorpotelIngredients1 kg boneless pork12 kg pork liver100 gms ginger julienned150 gms garlic julienned100 gms green chillies3 tbsp East Indian bottle masala12 cup brown vinegarSalt to tasteMethodWash the meat apply salt and water and cook in a pressure cooker till the meat is 80 to 90 per cent done Cut into small cubes fry in a little oil and keep aside Fry the garlic and ginger add the fried meat and bottle masala and stir fry Add the stock from the pressure cooker vinegar and green chillies Add salt and simmer for 15 minutesKoswad is a set of festive sweets and snacks made and exchanged during Christmas Ranging from kulkuls and nevris to Christmas cakes marzipan and others the term is derived from the IndoPortuguese word consoada which refers to the dinner served on Christmas eve synonymous with the spirit of sharing It was absorbed by the Bombay East Indian Catholics into their native Maharashtrian Konkani dialects