Ho, Ho, Ho! Do you hear festive bells tolling. Not yet? Well, we understand, the celebrations of Christmas are going to be a bit subdued yet again in the wake of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus that has entered India. After the casualties of the second wave that we witnessed in April and May this year, we cannot afford a third wave, so most well-to-do restaurants have a strict Covid protocol in place. Much like last year, people are really looking forward to the intimate, closed-door celebrations. From setting up live barbeques to baking your own Christmas cakes and desserts, there are options galore to make the Holiday memorable even as we fight the pandemic.
Now all of us know the significance of plum cakes around Christmas. Making Plum cakes is an English tradition of ringing in the Holiday, and a rather elaborate one at that. Nuts and dried fruits are soaked in rum or liquor weeks in advance, once they are nicely spiked they are mixed with flour and other ‘cake ingredients’ to make a dense and chocolatey Christmas cake that is relished by families. India has been no stranger to the tradition either, after all, it was a British colony for so long, even after all these years, Plum cakes are a regular feature in Indian Christmas fare but to think that it is the only Christmas cake we know of, would be a gross misunderstanding.
Agla Station Allahabad Hai...
Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, has been a melting pot of cultures since time immemorial. The Anglo-Indian population really blossomed in Allahabad during British rule, due to the strong network of Railways in the area. Most of these were people who worked for Railways, lived in the Government quarters of the Railway colony and in their free time they liked to have their own sweet gatherings for festivals and occasions that featured marvelous food. Food that truly blended the best of Indian and British culinary styles.
Bushy Bakery, a modest bakery in the Civil Lines, run by a Muslim man named Mohammad Aslam, were the first to bake this unique Christmas cakes in the year 1963. It was upon the special request of Anglo Lady Ms. Barnett of the Railway colony, that Aslam baked this special cake that had petha (a sweet, translucent candy made of ash gourd), Murabba, Ghee and fennel seeds. Little did he know that he was creating history. At the Bushy’s you could bring your own ingredients and they would bake the cake right in front of you as per your instructions, a tradition that continues to date.
The demand of this cake hits roof during December, people carry their ingredients and cakes are the aroma of fresh cakes lingers all through the day at the Bushy’s Bakery
Desi And Decadent All The Way: Ghee, Petha and Other Unique Ingredients Of Allahabadi Cake
A take on the English Christmas Cake, The Allahabadi cake also used dry fruits soaked in rum, but alongside, murabbas, petha and ghee give the strong desi edge to the cake. Winter spices like nutmeg, cinnamom, mace and ginger further elevate the flavour of the cake. The presence of ghee, not only makes the cake more aromatic, but also very soft. Ghee can hold its own even in high smoke point, and these cakes, traditionally take a while to bake. So, in a way, ghee is not just a Desi substitute to butter, but a USP of the cake alongside petha, which brings lovely colour and interesting play of textures in the cake.
Have you tried the Allahabadi cake? Let us know how you liked it.