KARANJI & COUSINS

This Christmas, unwrap the story of this versatile sweet that's a staple across the country on the festival plate

- Ashlesha Athavale

Come December, and preparations for Christmas that have been on for days, pick up speed. Households that have already started work on the cake, now get busy with puffs, dodol, marzipan, kulkuls, guava cheese, etc, depending on the part of the country they hail from. But one sweet is arguably the most important part of Christmas all over the country. And this is the nevri. Known as the karanji in Maharashtra where it is a staple during Diwali, its version called the nevri, is prepared by Goan Christians and East Indians at Christmas.

The karanji and her cousins, called the nevri or nevryo, gujiya, somas, and others rule the country in various forms. In Gujarat, for instance, traditionally there are both sweet and savoury versions. The Pathare Prabhus in Mumbai prepare karanji that is baked. The CKPs also have a savoury version that is filled with kheema (minced meat).

Traditionally, the nevri has a sweet filling made with grated coconut. A proud East Indian, Christina Kinny, who started the East Indian Cozinha at Vakola, says the Christmas koswat (goodies or faral) is incomplete without the nevri. "It has to be there," she says firmly. Kinny says besides the coconut, nevris are also filled with mawa or rawa. "We also call nevris as shingoli and have a fried version. Historically, we have always prepared nevris at Christmas"