Christmas Plum Pudding (Indian Way)

This recipe hails from the British colonial era in India, specifically from the 1880 edition of "The Indian Cookery Book," published in Calcutta. During this period, British expatriates in India endeavored to replicate festive favorites from home, adapting them as necessary to local conditions and ingredients. Christmas Plum Pudding embodies the melding of British tradition and Indian adaptations, using ingredients sourced or substituted from local markets. The presence of suet, brandy, and mixed spices speaks to the resourceful efforts of cooks to maintain a sense of home far from England, celebrating seasonal rituals despite tropical heat and differing local produce.

In the late 19th century, this pudding would have been mixed by hand in a large bowl, using wooden spoons for thorough blending. A strong linen cloth or cotton napkin served as the traditional vessel, buttered and floured to prevent sticking. The pudding was tied with stout butcher’s string and boiled in a large cauldron or heavy metal pot, suspended by the strings to ensure even cooking. A roaring hearth and steady attention were required to keep the water at a continuous boil for many hours. Once cooked, the cloth-wrapped pudding would hang from a hook or beam in a cool, airy part of the house until needed.