Festivals are all about sharing love and happiness with your family and loved ones, following traditions and having a good time. And that’s what
Easter is all about for our celebs as well.
Bangalore Times spoke to some of them to find out what Easter means to them, the traditions they follow on this particular day and what the
lavish feast consists of…
Sharmiela Mandre, Actress
For actress
Sharmiela Mandre, Easter brings back a lot of childhood memories. “Since my mother’s side of the family is Catholic, we begin the day by going to church. After that, we visit family members and usually end up at my grandmother’s house for a traditional Easter lunch, which is a mix of dishes like
Roast Chicken and
Turkey, and desserts made by my grandmother. My favourite is the Banofee Pie,” says Sharmiela.
Banofee Pie
INGREDIENTS
* 250g digestive biscuits, crushed
* 100g butter, melted
* 4 small bananas
* 300ml carton whipping cream, whipped
* Grated chocolate to garnish
* Caramel (can be made from scratch or bought from the store)
* 2 tablespoon of brown sugar for the cream
RECIPE
* Put the crushed biscuit into a bowl with melted butter. Mix it together thoroughly. Press the mixture into the base and sides of the tin. Chill for 10 minutes. This will form the base of the pie.
* Now, spread the caramel over the base with the help of a spoon.
* Slice the bananas and scatter them on top. Now, put the cream on top (beaten previously for about 15 minutes with brown sugar) and decorate with grated chocolate.
* Store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat it.
Bruce Lee Mani, Vocalist and Guitarist
Easter is all about getting together with the family. There aren’t any traditions that we follow in particular but it’s a big get-together and we eat till we drop. There are a lot of traditional
Kerala dishes that are prepared on Easter by my wife, that I love to eat,” says Bruce. His favourite- appam and chicken stew.
Kerala Chicken Stew
INGREDIENTS
* 1 kg chicken pieces
* 20 cardamon pods
* 6 inch cinnamon stick
* 7 cloves
* 2 large onions
* 4 inch ginger piece finely chopped
* 10 medium size green chillies (or less if you prefer a milder stew)
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 tablespoon coriander powder
* 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
* 2 large potatoes — diced
* 1 cup thick coconut milk
* 5 tablespoon oil
* Curry leaves
* Salt
RECIPE
* Heat oil, then add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and mix well.
* Add ginger, chopped onions, green chilli and curry leaves. Saute until the onion is soft.
* Add pepper, coriander, garam masala and turmeric powders and mix to let the spices roast for a minute.
* Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle salt and stir to coat with the masala.
* Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water, cover and boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Add potato cubes and cook for another 15-20 minutes till the potatoes are cooked.
* Add coconut milk and take it off the flame as soon as it starts to boil.
* Serve with hot pallappam or iddiappam. (If using fresh coconut, add its thick extract first and then the thinner extract of coconut milk. If using processed coconut milk, add some water or milk to thin it and bring to the desired consistency.)
Rohit Barker, Professional Entertainer
On Easter, there is one tradition that we have been following for years and that’s an Easter egg hunt. It’s mostly for the kids but we have been doing it every year. In addition to this, there is a lavish lunch that the family feasts on. Personally, I look forward to the desserts the most, prepared by my sister- in-law,” says Rohit.
Eggless Chocolate Mousse
INGREDIENTS
* 200 grams of semi-sweet chocolate (you can use cooking chocolate as well)
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 teaspoon of instant coffee ( in 1 teaspoon of hot water)
* 300ml carton whipping cream, whipped
* 500 grams of whipping cream or thick cream
* ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
RECIPE
* Chop the chocolate into small pieces and save a small piece for the garnish.
* Place chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl, and heat for 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate has melted.
* Remove from microwave and add the coffee syrup.
* Whisk for a few minutes until totally combined and slightly cool. Add the cream a little at a times and whisk until you get a smooth, even coloured consistency.
* Add the vanilla extract and whisk for a few minutes.
* Pour into a container and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
* Before serving, grate the last bit of chocolate and sprinkle over.
* You can also garnish with mini Easter eggs if you have any.
