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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
9 min
10/12/2025
When Christmas morning arrives in the coastal communities of Kerala and Goa, two iconic dishes grace the dining tables. Kerala's Syrian Christian households relish the subtle coconut-rich chicken stew, while Goan Catholic kitchens cherish their spicy and vinegar-spiked pork vindaloo. The dishes are not truly local but are fusion dishes with a colonial past. So, here’s the tale of two curries, one as gentle as a dove and the other as fiery as a burning torch.
Christmas in India looks a lot different in the Christian communities of Goa and Kerala, as one loves their mild stew and the other their sour and spicy pork dish. But behind these polar opposite flavours lies a shared story of heritage, celebration, and local pride. The Keralian stew might not have many historical records, but it reflects the local love for its coconuts, meat and vegetables. Then there’s the Goan pork vindaloo, which took inspiration from a 16th‑century recipe brought by the colonising Portuguese. Read on as this article goes deep into their differences.
Kerala-style chicken stew (‘ishtu or kozhi ishtu’) is a gentle, comforting curry in which pieces of chicken are simmered in coconut milk along with whole spices – cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaf – then combined with onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and often vegetables like potatoes, carrots (and sometimes peas or beans).
Goan pork vindaloo is a contrast to the mild Keralian ‘ishtu’, for it is a robust curry with spice and vinegar. It has deep Indo-Portuguese roots: originally adapted from the Portuguese dish ‘carne de vinha d’alhos’ (meat marinated in wine-and-garlic), Goan cooks substituted wine for palm vinegar and added local spices – chillies, black pepper, tamarind, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom – to create a tangy and spicy pork stew.
The Kerala chicken stew is a delicate curry that is aromatic and soothing. The hallmark of this dish is coconut milk, which makes the entire dish creamy and gives it a mild sweetness. The whole spices make it fragrant, minus the spiciness that is imparted by red chillies. When it comes to fresh herbs, green chillies add gentle spiciness. Overall, this dish is comforting, designed to be eaten in generous portions without overwhelming the palate and perfect for winters, when Christmas falls.
In the Goan pork vindaloo, its reddish hue and tanginess take centre stage. The taste is also layered, with a signature flavour imparted by vinegar (Portuguese influence). The spices also help to liven this dish up, while the jaggery or sugar adds a little sweetness. The flavour develops and intensifies over time, making day-old vindaloo often superior to freshly made.
The Kerala stew is built on a base of coconut milk, both thin and thick extracts, with cashew paste sometimes added. Bone-in chicken pieces go into the stew along with potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans. Then herbs go in like onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and curry leaves, along with whole spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaf. These give the stew a fragrant and layered flavour without any overwhelming heat. Cooking the stew is relatively quick – chicken and vegetables simmer in the thin coconut milk until tender, then thick coconut milk is added at the end, and the stew is finished simply with salt and pepper.
Pork vindaloo has a completely different flavour profile and is labour-intensive. Pork shoulder or belly, which is preferred with fatty cuts, is marinated in palm vinegar and tamarind for hours. Dry-roasted spices, including Kashmiri chillies, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, mustard seeds, and fenugreek, are ground into a paste and combined with garlic, ginger, onions, curry leaves, and sometimes a bit of sugar or jaggery and tomato puree is added. The pork is slow-cooked in this paste with minimal liquid, resulting in a rich, tangy, and spicy curry.
The classic stew from Kerala is most often enjoyed with light, soft accompaniments that soak up its coconut‑milk broth without competing with its subtle flavour. Traditional pairings include appam (fermented rice pancakes), idiyappam (steamed rice noodles), puttu (steamed rice‑coconut cylinders), or pathiri (thin rice flatbread). Bread or plain steamed rice also works for a simpler meal.
By contrast, the spicy and tangy pork vindaloo calls for sturdier, firmer accompaniments that can stand up to its intensity. It’s commonly served with plain steamed white or brown rice, or with sannas – traditional Goan fermented rice cakes made with toddy, which absorb the rich, vinegary gravy nicely. Breads such as soft rolls, pão (Goan bread), naan or roti also work well.
Both dishes hold special significance in their respective Christian communities, but they fulfil different roles in the festive meal. Kozhi ishtu and appam form a popular Christmas breakfast combination. The dish is served at weddings, christenings, Easter, and Christmas – occasions where large groups gather and need to be fed with generosity and deliver comfort.
Vindaloo tends to be central to Goan Catholic celebrations and, like stew, it is a favourite at Christmas, New Year, Easter and weddings. Its labour-intensive preparation makes it a dish reserved for special occasions, and its spiciness means it's typically one of several dishes served, rather than the sole focus. The tradition of making vindaloo several days ahead, allowing it to develop its pickle-like qualities, also means it becomes a ritual that marks the approach of a celebration.
Neither dish is monolithic, and families guard their own versions because the dishes are loved in their local communities.
Ishtu variations: Some cooks add tomatoes, others include hard-boiled eggs, and vegetarian versions substitute chicken for more vegetables. Different communities have adapted the dish with their own touches while maintaining the base of coconut milk and gentle spices.
Vindaloo adaptations: While pork is traditionally used, chicken, lamb, beef, fish, and even vegetarian versions exist throughout Goa and beyond. The spice blend also varies by family – some prefer more fire in their dish, others more tanginess, while some love the sweetness. But a good vindaloo should be rich red in colour, medium-hot at most, slightly tangy, and rich with a concoction of blended Kashmiri chillies and aromatic spices.
Choosing between Kerala chicken stew and Goan pork vindaloo isn't about declaring a winner – it's about understanding that Indian Christmas cuisine is diverse. Each dish, part of the celebrations here, reflects the distinct histories and preferences of coastal communities. Both dishes demonstrate how local communities adapted or invented local dishes thanks to colonial influences into something uniquely their own/.