Ranwar, Chuim, Chimbai, and Pali Villages—were where I tasted my first East Indian Christmas. Each lane felt like a festive postcard: wooden cottages, bougainvillealaden balconies, ladies dressed in the colourful, traditional lugra saris and the soft glow of lanterns. One cottage in particular remains etched in my memory: a charming old one-storied home belonging to my friend and former colleague, Stardust Gonsalves. With its sloping red-tiled roof and windows framed in ageing wood, it looked like something pulled straight out of a storybook—a gingerbread house come to life. At Christmas, it sparkled with twinkling lights and, naturally, the most beautiful Christmas star you could imagine. And yes, I always joked that no star could shine brighter than Stardust herself. Inside, the warmth was tangible. Meals at Stardust’s home were a symphony of East Indian flavours: a sorpotel gently bubbling on the stove, fugias stacked in a towering, irresistible pile, and khimad warming guests from the inside out. The laughter was loud, the rooms full, and every plate passed around felt like a continuation of an age-old tradition. I wasn’t East Indian, but in those moments, embraced by the hospitality of Bandra’s villagers and families, I felt like I belonged to that world as much as anyone. Perhaps that’s why, even today, East Indian Christmas cooking stirs something in me that’s almost tender. It’s a cuisine I never grew up eating at home, but one I grew to love deeply through the kindness of those who shared it with me. Each dish reminds me of childhood evenings spent at Aunty Muriel’s; of Christmas lunches in Bandra’s cosy village homes; of Stardust’s gingerbread cottage glowing like a beacon of warmth. In a city that’s constantly reinventing itself, East Indian Christmas food remains a beautifully anchored tradition—a reminder of Mumbai’s indigenous soul. If you’ve never tried it, let this be your nudge. Christmas may mean different things to different people, but for me, it will always be tied to those East Indian kitchens— where nostalgia is stirred in every pot, and love, like bottle masala, is always added by the heaping spoonful. FRESH.DAILYPIONEER.COM • DECEMBER 2025 21 (top left to right) old homes and murals dot Bandra’s quaint Ranwar Village. (bottom) pork vindaloo and fugias Pics Courtesy: Chef Freny Fernandes of Freny’s, Raul Dias and unsplash.com
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