Easter reimagined the Indian way: A feast of spice and soul

This Easter, Indian chefs are innovating traditional menus by incorporating local ingredients and flavours, creating a delicious culinary narrative

As Easter Sunday arrives, chefs and home cooks across India are completely reimagining the festive table by blending global traditions with vibrant local flavours. Moving beyond purely Western menus and borrowed customs, this year’s celebrations lean deeply into regional identity, bringing in indigenous spices, jaggery, and coastal influences to create festive meals that feel distinctly and proudly Indian. This fusion transforms the dining table into a narrative of belonging.

Easter treats

Along the Goan coast, Chef Edward of Coastal Kitchen Curator draws from elemental, time-honoured flavours. Coconut, kokum, and wood smoke shape his Easter spread, with a standout jaggery-glazed roast chicken finished with a toddy vinegar reduction, a tender nod to Goan Catholic heritage. “Easter, for us, has always tasted of the sea and slow fires,” he says. “That first bite after church should carry salt air, sweetness and warmth—all at once.”

Moving north to Lucknow, hotelier Royce Andrew Arthur showcases how to infuse colonial classics with local nuance. His hot cross buns, layered with saffron, cardamom, and citrus zest, gently bridge global tradition with a distinctly Indian palate. “You don’t change Easter traditions, you whisper into them,” he shares. “The ritual remains, but the flavours have become more ours, more Lucknowi, year after year.”

The shift towards localisation is perhaps most palpable in Mumbai’s bustling culinary hubs. “In Mumbai, especially in Bandra, Easter isn’t announced—it lingers in the air, in bells, in butter, and in bread,” observes Lina Fernandez, Bakery Owner, Bandra, Mumbai. At her neighbourhood bakery, Lina opens the doors just a little earlier on Easter morning. The first trays out of the oven are her rum-soaked fruit Easter cake slices—rich yet delicately spiced—followed by the marzipan-filled chocolate eggs that her regulars have grown up with.

Drawing from Bandra’s East Indian and Goan influences, she weaves in nutmeg, candied peel, and a touch of local toddy essence, ensuring the flavours remain familiar yet deeply rooted in the city's coastal history. “But what people really wait for,” she says with a smile, “is the Easter milk bread: soft, slightly sweet, and braided like a memory.”

In the Capital, restaurateur Gulshan John approaches the menu as a culinary journey. From a playful spiced vegetable ‘egg’ chaat to a deeply comforting peppery mutton stew, her dishes mirror the shift from Lenten restraint to indulgence that defines the season. “We’re not copying Western Easter, we’re interpreting its emotion,” she says. “That return to richness feels very Indian too, echoing our own regional festivals.”

Further south in Kerala, Kochi-based chef Anita Varghese brings the focus back to community and the labour of love involved in the feast. Her elaborate spread, featuring slow-cooked duck roast and delicate, lacy achappams, comes together over hours, built by many hands. “Easter lunch isn’t just served, it’s assembled with love,” she explains. “The food becomes the final expression of that joy.” This collective effort underlines how, for many in India, Easter is ultimately about flavour, faith, and family gathered around a table that feels truly their own.