I have spent 22 years in this incredible city and have been here for Christmas in 20 of those years. Just two out of the city before my dad passed away but other than that, I really can’t imagine wanting to be in any other city in the world during this time of the year. I’m forever telling people, either here in India or in ‘foreign’ that, other than the lack of snow and shivering cold (which I’m thoroughly happy to be well away from!) Calcutta is one of the most — if not the most — Christmassy cities in the world and, of course, Park Street by far the most festive street for four days every year.
Most cities and high streets the world over are pretty much done with the whole six-week partying and buying frenzy by the time Christmas Eve comes and unless you’re from a big family filled with excited kids waking up on Christmas morning to see if Santa has been, Christmas Day and the days that follow just all seem to melt into one big Christmas anticlimax! With only New Year’s Eve to look forward to, followed by two months of full-on cold short days of winter gloom and misery. You literally get from 9am to 3pm of proper daylight in the northern hemisphere!
An extended festive season
Calcutta, on the other hand, doesn’t have the six weeks of Christmas hype, the weather other than the pollution is glorious and India has been way too busy with all the pujas. Durga, Kali, Diwali and all the others in-between and after. In fact, Christmas and New Year are just a continuation of pujas and festivities in Calcutta, so those four days on and around Boro Din is in all reality plenty enough Christmas for anyone. And holy s*#t, does Calcutta make the most of it!
When I send friends photos and videos of Park Street on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, everyone is gobsmacked by the sheer number of people! All dressed up in Santa hats, literally eating and drinking the city dry. The queues outside of Nahoum’s and Flurys! The quick-fix Christmas tree and decoration buying in New Market and the arrival of turkey from around the 20th, kicks off the whole Christmas jing-bang! With what seems like millions of people coming from all over the state to queue up at churches for Christmas Eve mass, then queue up some more at the zoo and Victoria Memorial, all to end up on Park Street once it gets dark to take in the Christmas lights and the sheer buzz of human excitement. Get the chance to chomp on some plum cake. All wrapped up in scarves, hats and sometimes tinsel, all to celebrate not necessarily any sort of religious festival but, well the Boro Din of course!
Last-minute recipe
Another one of those beautiful Calcutta festivals, just like Durga Puja where all and everyone is welcome, with cast, colour, creed absolutely no bar on festivity and that Christmas revelry! So much so that this year I’ve convinced a couple of friends to come visit Calcutta for Christmas. I’m sure they’ll never think of Christmas the same way ever again.
And on that note, a recipe! And I know I’ve shared all manner of recipes over the years for my Christmas columns but I can never remember sharing one for a traditional Christmas pudding. One of those rich sumptuous delights only usually ever seen at Christmas time and normally made long before now but here is a delicious ‘last minute’ Christmas pudding recipe that’s really easy and cooked in a microwave in a minute!
Christmas pudding, candied clementines and brandy cream
For the pudding: Place into a bowl, 50g coarsely chopped, soaked and peeled almonds; four peeled and 1cm diced apples; 200g of chopped candied peel; 1 tsp of freshly-grated nutmeg; 1 tsp cinnamon powder; 750g raisins; 250g currants; 140g flour; 100g soft fresh white breadcrumbs; the zest of an orange; 100g dark muscovado sugar; 3 large eggs; 4 tbsp brandy or cognac (if you don’t want to use alcohol, then the same of cranberry juice); and, 250g softened butter.
Give all the ingredients a good stir together, cover and allow to sit overnight or even better, for a couple of days, to allow all those flavours to infuse together and the dried fruit to soften. Then weigh off into 150g amounts and place into a buttered and sugared cup or ramakin. Cover with cling film and keep repeating until all has been used up. (If you think the quantity will be too much, please half it but there’s a good chance people will keep coming back for more.)
For the candied clementine: You’ll need around 500g of whole, washed, pricked clementines (kinnu). Place these into a saucepan with 200ml of water, 500g sugar, a few pieces of cinnamon bark, 10 cloves and 3 star anise. Bring to a boil, cover lightly with kitchen foil and simmer over a very low heat for one hour. You can either eat these hot or cold and will keep well refrigerated in a sealable jar or container for months.
For the cream: Lightly whip 500ml of whipping cream with 30g of caster sugar and the zest and juice of a lemon. Once you have light peaks in your cream, slowly fold in 60ml of brandy or cognac (optional.)
To cook and serve: Place your Christmas puddings one at a time into a microwave on full power and cook for one minute and repeat. Allow to rest for one more minute and turn out into a serving bowl. Serve with a good spoonful of the cream, one of the candied clementines and dust lightly with icing sugar. As in the photo, I’ve sprinkled over a few edible flower petals but will leave that up to you. Delicious either way!
Chef Shaun Kenworthy is a food /concept consultant and F&B strategist