A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook
Title: The Indian Cookery Book (c.1900)
Author: Anonymous
eBook No.: 0500071.txt
Edition: 1
Language: English
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Date most recently updated: January 2005
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This text was prepared from an undated edition. There are two facts that imply this edition was published before 1900. Firstly, the first chapter refers to cyclones in 1864 and 1867 as recent events. Secondly, the book is interleaved with pages of notepaper for readers to add their own recipes, and one of these recipes
ends with a note that the recipe was cooked in 1899.
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Title: The Indian Cookery Book (c.1900)
Author: Anonymous
THE INDIAN COOKERY BOOK PUBLISHED BY
THACKER, SPINK & CO.,
CALCUTTA
RICE OR CHOWL
Rice is consumed by most European families at breakfast, tiffin, and dinner. It is eaten at breakfast with fried meat, fish, omelet, country captain, or some other curried dish, and, being invariably followed by toast and eggs, jams, fruit, &c., one coonkee, which contains about as much as an ordinary breakfastcup, or say half a pound, will always be ample for four tolerably hearty consumers. There are two sizes of coonkees, large and small: reference is here made to the small coonkee, well filled. The quantity, however, of raw rice for a party of four should not exceed half a pound.
The rice at dinner is usually preceded by soup, fish, roast, and made dishes.
The best or generally approved qualities of rice for table use are known as the bhaktoolsee, the banafool, the bassmuttee, and cheeneesuckur. In purchasing these, or indeed any other approved quality, care must be taken to avoid new rice and what is called urruah, which latter has been put through some process of boiling,
or damped, and then dried. Both are considered unwholesome for general daily consumption, and few Indians will use them.
Good rice when rubbed in the palm of the hand, and cleared of dust, will appear of a bright and nearly transparent yellowish colour; whereas the urruah will be found of a dull whitish hue, and the grain streaked and speckled with white powder, which crumbles on the application of a needle’s point.
The price of rice, like other commodities, varies according to its plenty or scarcity in the market. After the cyclone of October, 1864, and again of November, 1867, the price of the bhaktoolsee and the banafool, which are fine, large, stout-grain rice, without being coarse, ruled at from eight to nine seers per rupee, and the bassmuttee and the cheeneesuckur at from seven to eight seers per rupee. The rice used by the poorest classes of the native population is of a very coarse description and incredibly cheap: within six weeks after the cyclone of November, 1867, it was readily procurable at twenty-five to thirty seers per rupee.
Rice is used in a variety of forms: it is boiled, made into
kitcheeree, pellow, puddings, blanc mange, cakes, bread, &c.
The bhaktoolsee, the banafool, and other stout-grain rice are the best adapted for boiling. Boiled rice is called bhath.
The bassmuttee, cheeneesuckur, and all small and fine-grain rice are selected for kitcheeree, pellow, and puddings for children’s food, and for invalids.
The urruah is used in some houses in ignorance, but for the most part it is made into flour, and used for blanc mange, cakes, &c. The flour is abundantly procurable in the Calcutta markets, and is largely used by all native bakers in the making of bread.
Twenty-two to twenty-five seers of rice monthly, consuming it three times a day, entertainments included, will be ample for a party of four, allowing occasionally for a rice pudding.
It is necessary to wash rice thoroughly in several waters before using it, and a colander is very useful for draining away the water after washing the rice.
1.—Boiled Rice
Wash half a pound or a coonkeeful of rice, and put it to boil in a large quantity of water, over a brisk fire. Immediately the rice begins to boil, the water will bubble up to the surface of the pot and overflow, carrying away quantities of scum and impurities. The cover of the pot should now be kept partially open, and the rice stirred to prevent an entire overflow of the water. On the subsiding of the water or the bubbling, the fire should be reduced, until it is satisfactorily ascertained that the grains of rice, without being pappy, are quite soft, when the pot should be removed from the fire and a quart of cold water be added. All the liquid, which is “conjee,” should then be drained, and the pot replaced over a gentle charcoal heat, to allow all moisture to evaporate, assisting the process by occasionally shaking the pot, or stirring its contents gently with a wooden spoon. Time to boil: half an hour.
The coonkee of rice when properly boiled will fill a good-sized curry or vegetable dish. The rice will be found quite soft, and yet every grain perfectly separate. Rice should never be cooked into a pap,
excepting it is required for very young children; and leaving the grains hard or uncooked should be equally avoided.
A small pinch of pounded alum or fitkerree is used by some cooks with advantage to improve the whiteness of boiled rice.
2.—Rice Conjee
The water in which rice is boiled should never be thrown away: it is nutritious and fattening for all cattle, horses included, and may be given daily to milch cows and goats with great advantage.
3.—Rice Kheer
This is occasionally served upon the breakfast-table as a treat, but few Europeans care for it. It is made as follows:—Thoroughly boil one coonkee or half a pound of the bassmuttee or the cheeneesuckur rice, then drain the water away, add two cups of pure cow’s milk, and put over a slow fire. As the rice begins to absorb the milk, two or three small sticks of cinnamon are put in, with one tablespoonful and a half to two tablespoonfuls of fine-quality white sugar. On the milk being
entirely absorbed, the kheer is either turned out upon a dish and eaten hot, or put into a buttered mould, served up in shape, and eaten cold.
Kheer is sometimes cooked or boiled in milk only, but the foregoing recipe is supposed to be that more generally approved.
4.—Pish-Pash
Pick and wash in several waters a coonkee or half a pound of the bassmuttee or other fine-grain rice; add to it, cleaned and cut up, a chicken, some sliced ginger, sliced onions, a few bay-leaves, some peppercorns, a few hotspice, a dessertspoonful of salt, one chittack or two ounces of butter, and water sufficient to cover the whole. Simmer over a slow fire until the chicken becomes perfectly tender and the rice quite pappy. Serve up hot. This is considered a most excellent and nutritious meal for invalids.
KITCHEEREES
These are occasionally substituted for boiled rice at breakfast, and are eaten with fried fish, omelets, croquets, jhal frezee, &c. They are prepared as follows:—
5.—Bhoonee Kitcheeree
Take rather more than three-quarters of a coonkee of bassmuttee or cheeneesuckur and half a coonkee of dal; or, if preferred, take the rice and dal in equal parts.
Take twelve large curry onions and cut them up lengthways into fine slices. Warm up two chittacks or four ounces of ghee (but before doing so be careful to warm the pot), and, while bubbling, throw in the sliced onions, removing them immediately they become of a bright brown colour. Set the fried onions aside, and throw in the dal and rice (having previously allowed all the water in which they were washed to drain through a colander). Fry until the dal and rice have absorbed all the ghee; then add a few slices of green ginger, some peppercorns, salt to taste (say one dessertspoonful), a few cloves, three or four
cardamoms, half a dozen bay-leaves, and as many small sticks of cinnamon. Mix well together; add as much water only as will entirely cover over the whole of the rice and dal, put a good-fitting cover on, and set over a slow fire, reducing the same from time to time as the water is being absorbed. Care must be taken not to allow the kitcheeree to burn, which may be prevented by occasionally shaking the pot, or stirring its contents with a wooden spoon.
Serve up quite hot, strewing over it the fried onions, which serve both as a relish and garnish of the dish.
6.—Bhoonee Kitcheeree of the Mussoor or Red Dal
Is made according to recipe No. 5.
7.—Bhoonee Kitcheeree of the Moong or Small-grain Yellow Dal Is made according to recipe No. 5.
8.—Bhoonee Kitcheeree of the Gram or Chunna Dal
The chunna or gram dal makes a very nice kitcheeree; but, as it is rather hard, it should be boiled or soaked in cold water for an hour or so before frying it with the raw rice.
9.—Bhoonee Kitcheeree of Green Peas
Kitcheeree made of green peas grown of English seeds is a rarity. Large peas should be picked out and shelled; they should not be fried with the rice, but added to it when nearly cooked. The instructions given in recipe No. 5 are to be observed in all other respects.
10.—Jurrud or Yellow-tinted Kitcheeree
Jurrud or yellow-tinted kitcheeree is nothing more than one of the above kitcheerees, to which is added, at the time of frying the rice and dal, either a small quantity of saffron or turmeric, according to
the colour desired to be imparted. Such introduction in no way affects the flavour, nor does it render the appearance of the dish more attractive, but serves admirably as a variety for a large breakfast-table.
11.—Geela Kitcheeree
This is usually made of moong dal with less than one-fourth the quantity of ghee allowed for the bhoonee, or with no ghee at all, and little or no condiments are used, excepting a small quantity of finely-sliced green ginger, a few peppercorns, one or two bay-leaves, and salt to taste. It is supposed to be better adapted than bhoonee kitcheeree for children and invalids.
By bhoonee is meant crisp, and geela signifies soft.
PELLOW OR POOLOO
Pellows are purely Hindoostanee dishes. There are several kinds of pellow, but some of them are so entirely of an Asiatic character and taste that no European will ever be persuaded to partake of them. It is therefore considered useless to offer instructions how to prepare
such as the ukhnee pellow, in which are introduced cream, milk, butter-milk, garlic, and lime-juice; or the sweet pellow, in which almonds and raisins are introduced, in addition to sugar, &c.
The following are the pellows in general use:—
12.—Chicken Pellow
Take a good-sized chicken; clean, truss, and boil it with one pound of beef in two cupfuls of clean water, seasoning it with onions, ginger, and salt. When sufficiently cooked, but yet quite firm, remove the chicken, and set it and the gravy aside. Cut up twelve onions lengthways into fine slices. Warm your pot; then melt in it two chittacks or four ounces of ghee, and, as it bubbles, throw in the sliced onions and fry to a light brown; remove and set aside. Then put
in half a pound, or a coonkee, or the best bassmuttee or cheeneesuckur, having drained away all the water in which it was washed, and fry. On the rice absorbing the ghee, throw in a few cloves, four or five cardamoms, half a dozen small sticks of cinnamon, some peppercorns, a blade or two of mace, and one dessertspoonful of salt. Mix up the whole, and pour over it the gravy in which the chicken and beef were boiled, or as much of it only as will entirely cover the rice; close the pot immediately with a close-fitting cover, and set on a slow fire. As the gravy continues to decrease or to be absorbed, so keep reducing the fire, shaking up the pot occasionally, or stirring its contents, to prevent the pellow from burning. Brown the boiled chicken in a pan with ghee or butter, and serve up as follows:—
Place the chicken, either whole or cut up, on the centre of a dish, covering it with the pellow; strew over it the fried onions, garnishing it besides with two hard-boiled eggs, cut into halves, or in some device, and with half a dozen bits of finely-sliced and fried bacon, to suit the taste of those who like the latter.
13.—Beef, Mutton, or Kid Pellow
Take two pounds of beef, and cut up as for a curry, or take a small but good leg of mutton, or two legs of a kid, rejecting the loin.
Make a good, strong gravy with seasoning of sliced onions, ginger, and salt, with water, which when cooked down will be reduced to about sufficient only to cover the rice. Then proceed to make the pellow in all respects as directed in the foregoing recipe. The beef is not further used for the table, but treat the legs of the kid, or the mutton, the same as the chicken, and serve up with fried onions, hard-boiled eggs, and fried bacon, like the chicken pellow.
14.—Prawn Pellow
Instead of a chicken, provide yourself with eight or ten good-sized “bagda prawns,” and a good hard cocoanut. After frying and setting aside the sliced onions, as directed above, the rice is to be fried, but, instead of using chicken or any other meat broth, cook it in the milk of the cocoanut (/vide/ recipe No. 54), observing in all particulars the instructions given for the chicken pellow, recipe No. 12, and serve up as follows:—Dish up the pellow, strew over it the
fried onions, and garnish with the prawns finely boiled, and two hard-boiled eggs cut in halves or in some other device.
The cocoanut milk will impart a sweetish flavour to the pellow, but it is not disagreeable; and its sweetness may be subdued, if required, by reducing the strength of the cocoanut milk.
15.—Lobster or Fish Pellow
Take out the centre bones or one or two hilsa or beckty fishes, which are procurable fresh and good in the market, and eight or ten large long-legged lobsters with the roe or coral; thoroughly wash in several waters with salt, and boil with plenty of seasoning of onions, sliced ginger, peppercorns, a dozen bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of unroasted dhuniah or coriander seed, and salt, with water sufficient to give the required quantity of gravy. When ready, remove and shell the lobsters, reserving the roe or red coral in the heads, which bruise down with a little unroasted coriander seed, and mix with the fish gravy. Make the pellow in all other respects the same as prawn pellow, using the gravy of the fish instead of cocoanut or other gravy, and garnish with the lobsters, &c.
CURRIES
A curry-stone and muller, or what the natives call seal our lurriah, are necessary for the preparation of condiments for daily use. The condiments should be carefully, and each kind separately, ground down to a nice paste with a little water.
Condiments prepared with water will not keep good any number of days; if required for a journey, therefore, or as presents for friends at home, good sweet oil and the best English vinegar should be substituted for the water. For the preparation of condiments for this purpose see recipe No. 65.
The first cost of a curry-stone and muller of large size will not exceed one rupee, but they will require re-cutting every three or four months, at a cost not exceeding one anna each re-setting.
The following is a list of curry condiments and hotspice in almost daily use:—
Curry onions, or carree ka piaj, price from 3 to 8 pice per seer.
Turmeric, or huldee ” 3 to 5 annas “
Garlic, or lussoon ” 2 to 3 annas “
Green ginger, or uddruck ” 2 to 4 annas “
Dry chilies, or sooka mirritch ” 3 to 5 annas “
Coriander-seed, or dhunnia ” 3 to 4 annas “
Cumin-seed, or jeerah ” 5 to 6 annas “
Peppercorns, or gool mirritch ” 5 to 6 annas “
Bay-leaves, or tage paththa ” 2 to 3 annas “
Lemon-grass, or uggheaghass ” 3 to 6 pice for a
bundle of 16 to 20 blades of grass.
Poppy-seed, or post ka danna ” 3 to 4 annas per seer.
Onion-seed, or cullinga ” 5 to 8 annas “
Stick cinnamon, or dalcheenee -+
Cardamoms, or elachee | Mixed; prices range from Rs. Cloves, or loung +- 3-14 to 4 per seer.
Nutmeg, or jyephall |
Mace, or jowttree -+
However high prices may range, one rupee-worth of mixed condiments, including hotspice, will suffice for a month’s consumption for a party of from four to six adults, allowing for three curries per day,
cutlets and made dishes included.
GRAVY CURRIES
The following directions for an every-day gravy chicken curry will apply equally to all ordinary meat gravy curries:—
16.—Chicken Curry
Take one chittack or two ounces of ghee, two breakfastcupfuls of water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic.
To suit the taste of those who like it, half a teaspoonful of ground coriander-seed may be added, which should be roasted before being ground. Observe the following directions for cooking:—
Take the usual full-sized curry chicken, the price of which has latterly ranged from three to four annas, and divide it into sixteen or eighteen pieces. Warm the pot, melt in it the ghee, and immediately it begins to bubble throw in all the ground condiments, stirring until
quite brown; then put in the cut-up chicken and the salt, and stir up to a good light-brown colour; then add the water, and allow the whole to simmer over a slow fire until the chicken is quite tender, and the liquid reduced to about half its original quantity. The operation of cooking or simmering will take from a half to three-quarters of an hour.
17.—Kid Curry
Take a hind-quarter or a fore-quarter of kid, which may be obtained at from three to four annas the quarter; cut it up into sixteen or eighteen pieces; take condiments in the proportion given in recipe No. 16, and cook it in every particular the same as the chicken curry, allowing it to simmer three-quarters of an hour.
18.—Veal Curry
A small shoulder of veal, the price of which ranges from three to four annas, may be selected; cut off from it sixteen or eighteen one-inch square pieces of the best part of the meat, and curry it in every particular the same as a chicken, only allowing it to simmer half to
three-quarters of an hour.
19.—Mutton Curry
Obtain a small shoulder at from five to six annas; cut it up into sixteen or eighteen one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the bones; curry it the same as a chicken, allowing it to simmer for half an hour longer, or until the meat is tender.
N.B.—The bones of the veal and mutton, referred to in this and the foregoing recipe, may be turned to account for stock or gravy for some made dish.
20.—Beef Curry
Two pounds of well-selected meat will cost from three to four annas; cut it up into one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the scraggy parts; cook it in every respect according to the instructions given in recipe No. 16 for cooking a gravy chicken curry, only allowing it to simmer for a much longer time than any other curry, or until the beef becomes tender.
21.—Green Duck Curry
The price of a young tender duck may be quoted at from four to five annas. Cut it up exactly as you would a chicken, and curry it in the same manner, allowing it to simmer for an hour and a half. It is desirable to introduce half a teaspoonful each of coriander and cumin seeds in this curry.
22.—Young Pigeon Curry
Take four young pigeons; cut each into four pieces, making in all sixteen pieces. The price of young pigeons ranges from five to six annas the pair. The instructions given for the cooking of a gravy chicken curry apply equally to a pigeon curry.
DOOPIAJAS
The literal translation of doopiaja is “two onions,” and the term probably is correctly applicable, as it will be noticed, in the recipes for preparing the doopiaja curries, that besides the full quantity of ground onions, it is necessary to put in about an equal quantity of fried onions, thereby doubling the quantity of onions.
Doopiajas are more piquant curries; they are cooked with more ghee and less water. The following condiments, &c., are considered ample for a really good doopiaja of chicken or of any meat:—
One chittack and a half or three ounces of ghee, one breakfastcupful of water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, twelve onions cut lengthways, each into six or eight slices, and half a teaspoonful of ground coriander-seed if it be liked.
23.—Chicken Doopiaja
Take a full-sized curry chicken and divide it into sixteen or eighteen pieces. Melt the ghee in a warm or heated pot, fry brown the sliced onions and set aside; then fry the ground condiments, stirring the whole; when brown, add the cut-up chicken with the salt, and fry to a rich brown. Chop the fried onions and put into the pot with one cup of water, and allow to simmer over a slow fire for about one hour, when the chicken will be perfectly tender, and the liquid reduced to a thick consistency, and to half its original quantity.
24.—Kid Doopiaja
Is made in all respects as a chicken doopiaja, the kid to be cut up in the usual manner. The hind quarter is preferable to the fore quarter.
25.—Veal Doopiaja
Take only the meat from a shoulder, cut it up into squares, and allow it to simmer for half an hour longer than the chicken doopiaja.
26.—Mutton Doopiaja
The flesh part of a shoulder is cut up into squares and doopiajed exactly as a chicken, allowing it to simmer over a slow fire for half an hour longer.
27.—Beef Doopiaja
Cut two pounds of beef into one-inch square pieces, and follow all the instructions given in recipe No. 23, only allowing it to simmer for a much longer time over a slow fire, until the beef is perfectly tender.
28.—Duck Doopiaja
Divide as you would a chicken, and cook the duck in the same manner, allowing it to simmer a little longer than the chicken doopiaja. Half a teaspoonful each of ground coriander and cumin seed should be mixed with the condiments.
29.—Doopiaja of Pigeons
Take four pigeons, cut each into four pieces, and proceed in every
particular the same as for a chicken doopiaja.
30.—Cold Boiled Pork Doopiaja
Cut from the remains of cold boiled pork sixteen one-inch square pieces, and doopiaje it in the way directed for a chicken. The time required to simmer will not exceed that allowed for the chicken doopiaja.
31.—Udder Doopiaja
Take two pounds of udder; before cutting it into squares, it should be parboiled, and then made into doopiaja, allowing it to simmer over a slow fire for about two hours.
32.—Udder and Beef Doopiaja
Take one pound each of udder and beef; parboil the udder, and then cut it up with the beef into one-inch square pieces, and doopiaje it, allowing it to simmer for about two hours.
It is necessary to impress on the amateur artist the importance of paying particular attention to the firing: a brisk fire will dry up the ghee and the water before the curry is half cooked, and necessitate the addition of more water, which will in every instance spoil the doopiaja, although the addition of a little water, if such be necessary when the curry is nearly cooked, will do it no harm. In every instance where ghee butter, &c., is to be melted, it is desirable first to warm the pot.
FORCEMEAT BALL CURRIES, OR COFTA-KA-CARREE
Beef, mutton, chicken, fish, crabs, and prawns are usually taken for making these curries. The ingredients for two pounds of meat or fish are as follow:—Lard, ghee, or mustard oil, three to four ounces; water or stock, five to six ounces; ground onions, one tablespoonful or one ounce; ground chilies, a quarter of a tablespoonful, ground turmeric, a quarter of a tablespoonful; ground green ginger, half a teaspoonful; ground peppercorns, half a teaspoonful; ground garlic, a quarter of a teaspoonful; garden herbs, finely chopped, one dessertspoonful; salt, one dessertspoonful; finely-grated bread-crumbs, three tablespoonfuls; one egg.
N.B.—In the fish, crab, and prawn coftas the ginger must be omitted. 33.—Beef Forcemeat Ball Curry
Get rather more than two pounds of good fat beef; wash it thoroughly, and cut it into pieces, rejecting all veins and scraggy portions; put about two pounds of it into a mortar and pound it fine, removing all fibres, veins, &c., and if it be desired put up a broth of all the rejections. Mix with the pounded beef a teaspoonful of salt, pepper, and garden herbs, and two tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs; add a little of the broth, or in its absence some milk; mix the whole well together; beat up the yolk and white of the egg, add it to the mixture, and make into balls about the size of large walnuts; roll them in bread-crumbs. After heating the pot, melt the lard or ghee, and fry brown the ground ingredients, sprinkling a tablespoonful of cold water over them; then add the coftas or balls with salt to taste, and fry or brown them; after which pour into the pot either a cup of broth or of water, and allow to simmer for about two hours.
N.B.—Some cooks add to the beef cofta curries ground hot spices,
which are fried with the curry condiments, and are suited to most tastes.
34.—Chicken Forcemeat Ball Curry
Procure a good fat chicken and a quarter of a pound of beef suet; put the suet into a mortar with all the fleshy parts of the chicken, and pound to a pulp; make a stock of gravy of the bones; mix with the pounded meat all the several ingredients named in the foregoing recipe, with the addition of an egg well beaten up; make into balls, roll in bread-crumbs, and curry as directed above.
N.B.—The chicken cofta curry may also be made without any suet; the general practice is to get chickens rather larger than those usually selected for ordinary curries.
35.—Mutton Forcemeat Ball Curry
Take the best parts of a leg or shoulder of mutton; cut them up, wash, and pound well down; make a gravy of the bones and rejections; mix with the pounded mutton all the ingredients mentioned in the recipe
for making beef balls, and cook exactly as the beef cofta curry. 36.—Ball Curry of Liver and Udder
Get one pound each of liver and udder; thoroughly wash and parboil them, then cut them into pieces, put into a mortar, and pound them to a pulp; mix with pepper, salt, herbs, bread-crumbs, and an egg; make into balls, and curry them in the same manner as any of the foregoing forcemeat ball curries.
37.—Prawn Cofta Curry
Get thirty to forty of the best prawns, and remove the heads and shells; wash the prawns well with salt and water, then pound them to a pulp; mix with it all the ingredients as directed for the beef cofta; make into balls, roll them in bread-crumbs, and set aside. After washing the heads, remove the shells, and bruise the contents with a dessertspoonful of unroasted coriander-seed; take all the juice, and fry it with the ground condiments; then put in the balls, brown them, add salt to taste, a cup of water, and simmer until they are cooked.
N.B.—Good mustard oil is preferable to using lard or ghee, and the ginger must be omitted; but the addition of a few bay-leaves and blades of lemon-grass would be an improvement. It is not usual to dish up the lemon-grass.
38.—Lobster Cofta Curry
According to their size, take eight or ten lobsters; clean them thoroughly; remove the heads and shells; pull the flesh to pieces and pound to a pulp; add to it some of the red coral from the head, then mix into it the bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, herbs, and an egg well beaten up, and make into balls. The remains of the heads and the contents of the long legs bruise down with unroasted coriander-seed; omitting the ginger, and cook the balls in the same way as the prawn balls, with the addition of bay-leaves and a few blades of lemon-grass. Lemon-grass is not served up.
39.—Crab Cofta Curry
Select ten or twelve gheewalla kakakahs, or crabs full of the red coral, wash them thoroughly, then boil them; remove all the meat and
coral out of the shells, pound to a pulp, and, after mixing all the ingredients and fixing them with an egg well beaten up, make into balls, and cook them in all respects according to the directions for lobster cofta curry. Time to simmer: say half an hour.
40.—Fish Cofta Curry
Cold boiled or fried fish is the best adapted for making coftas; it is not necessary to give other instructions than those already given at length in the foregoing recipes, excepting that mustard oil is the best adapted for fresh fish curries.
N.B.—The remains of hermetically-sealed fish, such as salmon and mackerel, removed from dinner, are well adapted for making cofta curries.
Under-done roast meats, such as beef, mutton, veal, and fowl, will make excellent cofta curries.
COUNTRY CAPTAIN
The country captain is usually made of chicken, and occasionally of kid and veal. Cold meats and curries are also sometimes converted into this dish, the condiments for which are as follow:—Two chittacks or four ounces of ghee, half a teaspoonful of ground chilies, one teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, and twenty onions, cut up lengthways into fine slices.
41.—Chicken Country Captain
Cut up in the usual way an ordinary curry chicken. Warm the ghee and fry the sliced onions, which when brown set aside; fry the ground turmeric and chilies, then throw in the chicken and salt, and continue to fry, stirring the whole, until the chicken is tender. Serve it up, strewing over it the fried onions.
42.—Kid Country Captain
Before cutting up the kid, a fore-quarter, let it be partially broiled or roasted, and then make it into country captain in accordance with
the above directions; or, instead of partially roasting the kid, add half a cup of water to assist the meat to dissolve.
43.—Veal Country Captain
Partially broil or roast a shoulder of veal before cutting it up; or make the country captain as directed in recipe No. 42, by adding half a cup of water instead of partially broiling the meat.
44.—Jhal Frezee
Cut up into small squares, of less than an inch, either cold mutton, beef, or veal, rejecting the bones; add a large quantity of sliced onions, some chilies cut up, and a teaspoonful of salt. Warm a chittack, or two ounces of ghee, and throw it into the meat, onions, chilies, and salt, and allow to simmer, or fry, stirring the whole while, until the onions are quite tender.
HINDOOSTANEE CURRIES
45.—Seik Kawab
Is usually eaten with chappatee or hand-bread, and only occasionally with rice, and contains the following condiments:—Two tablespoonfuls of mustard oil, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, a cup of thick tyre or dhye, half a teaspoonful of ground coriander-seed, the juice of one large lemon, and a little ghee.
Take two pounds of beef, mutton, or veal; remove the bones, and chop the meat slightly, without mincing or cutting through it; mix well together all the ground condiments, including the oil, tyre, and lemon-juice, in which steep the chopped meat, turning it over occasionally to absorb the mixture. After a while cut up the meat into squares of equal size, say two inches, and continue to keep them in the mixture for fully one hour; then pass the squares of meat either on a silver, plated, or other metal skewer, and roast or broil over a
slow charcoal fire, basting the whole time with ghee, to allow the kawab to become of a rich brown colour, without burning or being singed in the basting. Remove from the skewer, and serve hot.
46.—Tick-keeah Kawab
Take two pounds of fat beef, wash it, cut it into small pieces, and pound it to a pulp, remove all fibres, &c., and then add to it one teaspoonful of ground onion, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one-eighth of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground peppercorns, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground ginger, half a teaspoonful of ground hot spices, and one tablespoonful of tyre or dhye.
Mix the whole well together, add salt to your taste, and the yolk and white of an egg well beaten up; form into balls of equal sizes; flatten them, pass them on iron or plated skewers about eighteen inches long, rub them well over with ghee, wrap them in plantain-leaf, and roast or broil them over a charcoal fire. Serve them up hot, removed from the skewers. These are usually eaten with chappatee.
HUSSANEE CURRIES, OR CURRIES ON STICK
The ingredients and condiments necessary for the curries on stick are as follow:—One chittack and a half of ghee, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of turmeric, half a teaspoonful of ginger, half a cupful of water, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one teaspoonful of chilies, half a cupful of tyre or dhye, some finely-sliced ginger, and as many small curry onions cut into half as may be required. Six silver pins five inches long, or, in the absence of these, six bamboo pins, are required.
47.—Hussanee Beef Curry
Cut up two pounds of beef into small squares not exceeding one inch, and pass them on the silver or bamboo pins alternately with half an onion and a slice of ginger. Half a dozen sticks with be ample for four hearty consumers.
Warm the ghee and brown the ground condiments; then put in the sticks
of meat, and brown, stirring the whole; after this add the tyre and a little water, and allow to simmer over a slow fire for nearly two hours, when the curry will be ready. Serve up on a curry-dish without removing the sticks.
48.—Hussanee Mutton Curry
Remove the meat from a shoulder of mutton, and cut it into small squares; the same instructions will apply to the preparation of mutton curry on stick as those given for beef curry on stick. Time to simmer: half an hour.
49.—Hussanee Veal Curry
Cut squares enough from a shoulder of veal, and observe the instructions given in the foregoing recipe. Time to simmer: one hour.
50.—Hussanee Curry of Udder and Liver
The udder and liver should be parboiled before being cut up for passing on the sticks; but in all other respects the instructions
given for the beaf and mutton curries on stick will apply to the udder and liver curry on stick. Time to simmer: fully one hour and a half.
KURMA OR QUOREMA CURRY
This, without exception, is one of the richest of Hindoostanee curries, but it is quite unsuited to European taste, if made, according to the original recipe, of which the following is a copy:—
51.—Quorema Curry, Plain
Take two pounds of mutton, one pound of tyre or dhye, two chittacks of garlic, one dam of cardamoms, four chittacks of bruised almonds, four mashas of saffron, the juice of five lemons, one pound of ghee, four chittacks of sliced onions, one dam of cloves, one chittack of pepper, four chittacks of cream, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic.
The following is the recipe of the quorema curry usually put on a gentleman’s table:—Two chittacks and a half or five ounces of ghee, one cup or eight ounces of good thick tyre, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of coriander-seed, six small sticks of ground cinnamon, two or three blades of lemon-grass, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, a half
teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, eight or ten peppercorns, four or five ground cloves, five or six ground cardamoms, two or three bay-leaves, a quarter of a cup of water, the juice of one lemon, and twelve large onions cut lengthways into fine slices.
Take two pounds of good fat mutton, and cut it up into pieces nearly one inch and a half square. Warm the ghee, fry in it the sliced onions, and set aside; then fry all the ground condiments, including the ground hot spices. When quite brown, throw in the mutton and salt, and allow the whole to brown, after which add the tyre, the hot spices with peppercorns and bay-leaves, the lemon-grass, the water, and the fried onions finely chopped; close the pot, and allow it to simmer over a gentle coal fire for about an hour and a half or two hours, by which time the kurma will be quite ready. The blades of lemon-grass are never dished up.
52.—Kid Quorema
Cut up a fore-quarter or a hind-quarter of a kid into eight or ten pieces, and cook it exactly as directed in the foregoing recipe. This
is rather preferred to mutton quorema.
53.—Fowl Quorema
Take a young full-ground tender fowl; cut it up as for an ordinary curry, cook it with all the condiments in the proportions given, and observe all the directions laid down in recipe No. 51.
N.B.—Most Europeans give the preference to the fowl quorema.
MALAY CURRIES
The condiments and other ingredients necessary are as follow:—One chittack or two ounces of ghee, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, the milk of a large cocoanut, say two cups, two blades of lemon-grass, three or four cloves, ground, three or four cardamoms, and as many small sticks of cinnamon, ground.
The coriander and cumin seeds must on no account be put into malay curries, or the delicate flavour of the cocoanut will be destroyed.
It will be necessary to provide what the natives call a
narial-ka-khoornee, which, interpreted, means “cocoanut scraper.” It is a small circular flat piece of iron, about the size and thickness of a Spanish dollar, the edges being notched. It is of rude construction, and fixed on a conveniently shaped wooden frame, also of rude construction. The best of the kind may be procured for two annas.
54.—Cocoanut Milk
The nut is scraped or rasped with the aid of the “khoornee” into very fine particles; it is then put into a deep vessel, and boiling water poured over it until the whole of the scraped cocoanut is covered. After allowing it to steep for ten or fifteen minutes, it is carefully strained through a clean napkin into another vessel or cup, the pulp is returned into the original vessel, and more boiling water is poured over it. This operation of steeping in boiling water and straining is continued until you have obtained the required quantity of the extracted milk of the cocoanut. The pulp is thrown away. If the cocoanut be a small one, or its nut not hard and deep, it will be necessary to provide a second cocoanut. Good cocoanuts are sold at an anna to an anna and a half a piece.
55.—Chicken Malay Gravy Curry with White Pumpkin or Cucumber
Take the usual full-sized curry chicken, and divide it as before directed; get either six cucumbers or a quarter of a white pumpkin; remove the green skin and the part containing the seeds, then cut it up into sixteen pieces of about two inches square, and steep in water.
Fry in the ghee all the ground condiments, including the ground hot spices; when brown, add the cut-up chicken and salt; fry to a fine bright light brown; then put in the pumpkin, having previously allowed all the water to drain away through a colander; pour in the two cups of cocoanut milk, the lemon-grass, and hot spices, and allow the whole to simmer over a slow fire for about half an hour, when the curry will be ready: the blade of lemon-grass is not dished up.
56.—Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with White Pumpkin or Cucumber
Select the bagda prawns (/bagda chingree/), whenever they are procurable, in preference to any other description. The shell and head are of a dark colour in comparison with what are called /jeel ka chingree/, the shell and head of which are very perceptibly several shades lighter than the bagdas.
It is impossible to quote any price as a guide, the fluctuation being almost incredible. Fine large prawns, not lobsters—prawns which, without their heads, would be about the size of the ordinary dried Normandy pippins sent out to this country for tarts—may be obtained
one day at two annas for twenty, and the next day they will not be procurable at less than eight annas for the same number. This remark applies generally to fish of every description brought for sale into the Calcutta market.
With one other remark of importance, we shall proceed to the instructions necessary for the preparation of prawn malay gravy curry.
The prawns should be parboiled after removing the heads, to rid them, as the natives call it, of besine, which means all disagreeable character of fishy smell and taste.
As a rule, the heads of prawns should always be rejected, which, in the process of frying, absorb largely the ghee, and in the cooking dispel a liquid from their spongy formation.
In all other respects, the prawn malay gravy curry is cooked like the chicken malay gravy curry, omitting the ginger; but an additional blade or two of the lemon-grass would not be amiss, which, on the curry being dished, are thrown away.
57.—Chicken Malay Gravy Curry with Pulwal
Take a fat chicken, clean it, remove all the flesh and pound it to a pulp, and prepare it in every respect as directed in recipe No. 34 for a cofta curry, omitting the suet. Take a dozen large-sized pulwals, scrape or pare away the outer skin, split them down one side, extract all the seeds, &c., and throw the pulwals into cold water; wash and drain away all the water, then stuff them with the prepared forcemeat, tie them with fine sewing cotton, and cook them in the milk of the cocoanut, exactly as directed in recipe No. 55.
58.—Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with Pulwal
Take bagda prawns; shell and clean them, pound to a pulp, and prepare as directed in recipe No. 37 for prawn cofta curry. Take a dozen pulwals, peel them finely, cut them open lengthways, clear them of all seeds, &c., wash and dry them, then stuff them with the prepared prawn mince; tie the pulwals with sewing cotton, and cook in cocoanut milk as directed in recipe No. 56.
59.—Chicken Malay Doopiaja
The condiments and ingredients are as follow:—One chittack and a half or three ounces of ghee, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one cup of strong cocoanut milk, and one dozen onions cut lengthways into fine slices.
Cut up the chicken in the usual manner, warm the ghee, fry and set aside the sliced onions, then fry brown the ground condiments, after which add the chicken and salt. When fried brown, pour in the cocoanut milk and the fried onions finely chopped, and allow to simmer over a slow fire: the Malay doopiaja will be ready in an hour.
60.—Prawn Malay Doopiaja
Take sixteen or twenty large bagda prawns, throw away the heads, parboil the prawns, and then doopiaje in all respects as for a chicken Malay doopiaja, omitting the ginger.
PORTUGUESE CURRY (VINDALOO OR BINDALOO)
This well-known Portuguese curry can only be made properly of beef, pork, or duck. The following is a recipe of the vindaloo in general use:—
Six ounces or three chittacks of ghee or lard, one tablespoonful of bruised garlic, one tablespoonful of ground garlic, one tablespoonful of ground ginger, two teaspoonfuls of ground chilies, one teaspoonful of roasted and ground coriander-seed, half a teaspoonful of roasted and ground cumin-seed, two or three bay-leaves, a few peppercorns, four or five cloves, roasted and ground, four or five cardamoms, roasted and ground, six small sticks of cinnamon, roasted and ground, with half a cup of good vinegar, to two pounds of pork or beef or a duck.
N.B.—The best vindaloo is that prepared with mustard oil. 61.—Beef Vindaloo
Cut up two pounds of fat beef into large squares, and steep them in the vinegar, together with half a teaspoonful of salt and all the
ground condiments, from eighteen to twenty-four hours. Then warm the ghee or lard and throw in the meat, together with the condiments and vinegar in which it had been steeped, adding a few peppercorns and bay-leaves, and allow to simmer gently over a slow fire for two hours, or until the meat is perfectly tender, and serve up hot.
62.—Pork Vindaloo
Cut up two pounds of fat pork into large squares, and curry according to the directions given in the foregoing recipe, omitting the cloves, cardamoms, and cinnamon.
63.—Duck Vindaloo
Take a young, full-grown, but tender duck; cut it up as for a curry, and put it through the same course of pickling from eighteen to twenty-four hours before being cooked.
64.—Pickled Vindaloo
(adapted as a Present to Friends at a Distance)
If the following instructions be carried out carefully, the vindaloo will keep good for months, and, if required, may be sent as an acceptable present to friends at home.
In order to keep it good sufficiently long to be sent home round the Cape, select the fattest parts of pork; satisfy yourself that the meat is fresh and sound, and that it has not been washed with water in the butcher’s shop. Cut the meat into two-inch squares, wash thoroughly in vinegar (no water), rub over with the following condiments, and then steep them in really good English vinegar for twenty-four hours:—Garlic bruised, not ground down, dry ginger powdered, turmeric powdered, peppercorns roasted and powdered, coriander-seeds roasted and powdered, cumin-seeds roasted and powdered, and dry salt.
Melt a large quantity of the best mustard oil in an earthen pot, and, according to the quantity of meat, take additional condiments mentioned above, but in the proportion given in recipe No. 61; grind in vinegar, and fry in the oil; then put in the meat, and all the vinegar, &c., in which it had been stepped, together with some more salt, a little more vinegar, a few bay-leaves and peppercorns, and allow to simmer until the meat is quite tender. Remove from the fire
and allow it to get quite cold; then put it into dry stone jars, with patent screw tops, well filled with plenty of the oil in which the vindaloo was cooked. Take care that all the meat is well covered over with oil, which latter ought to be at least from two to three inches above the meat in the jar. Screw down the lid, and cover it over with a good sound bladder to render it perfectly airtight.
When required for use, take out only as much as will suffice, and simply warm it in a little of its own gravy.
65.—Curry Paste
Is likewise adapted for sending as a present to friends at home. It is made in the following manner:—Eight ounces of dhunnia, or coriander-seed, roasted; one ounce of jeerah, or cumin-seed, roasted; two ounces of huldee, or dry turmeric; two ounces of lal mirritch, dry chilies; two ounces of kala mirritch, black pepper, roasted; two ounces of rai, or mustard-seed; one ounce of soat, or dry ginger; one ounce of lussan, or garlic; four ounces of nimmuck, salt; four ounces of cheenee, or sugar; four ounces of chunna or gram dal without husk, and roasted. The above ingredients, in the proportions given, to be
carefully pounded and ground down with the best English white wine vinegar to the consistency of a thick jelly; then warm some good sweet oil, and while bubbling fry in it the mixture until it is reduced to a paste; let it cool, and then bottle it.
N.B.—Great care must be taken not to use any water in the preparation, and mustard oil is better adapted than sweet oil for frying the mixture in.
MADRAS MULLIGATAWNY CURRY
As this dish is usually served up and partaken of in the place of ordinary soup, reference will be made to it hereafter under the head of “Soups.”
Before proceeding to remark on fish, vegetable, and peas curries, a few useful hints and suggestions may be offered on meat curries generally.
In many families the remains of cold meat, if not required for other purposes, are made into curry: cold roast or boiled mutton is admirably adapted for the purpose; and in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred consumers cannot tell the difference. If there be any difference or advantage, it is decidedly in favour of the cold meat: the roasting joints are always of a superior quality to meats sold under the designation of “curry meats.”
The remains of cold roast beef make the best cofta curries, croquets, &c., and if the beef be under-done no fresh beef will make a better doopiaja.
Vegetables are sometimes put into gravy meat curries, never into doopiajas; but, as a rule, the introduction of vegetable into any meat curry is objectionable, from the fact that all vegetables in the process of boiling or cooking throw out a liquid, some more and some less: the potato throws out the least, but of a disagreeable character. It is true potatoes may be boiled before being put into a curry, but the piquancy and peculiarity of flavour looked for in a curry is so palpably destroyed that the innovation may be discovered with closed eyes. The introduction of vegetable into gravy fish curries, however, is no innovation, as the condiments used for the one answer for the other; both are cooked in oil, and the ginger omitted.
66.—Gravy Fish Curries
The condiments are as follows:—Mustard oil, one chittack or two ounces; water, two cups; four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of garlic.
It will be noticed that mustard oil is used instead of ghee, and no
ginger.
Too much care cannot be observed in thoroughly cleaning, rubbing, and washing the fish in salt and water before cooking it for the table. Fish, if properly washed, when served up will never be offensive, unless it be bad when purchased.
67.—Hilsa Fish Gravy Curry
The head and tail are thrown away, and the fish cut into slices of rather more than half an inch thick; these should be washed in several waters with salt, to rid them of all “besine,” before they are curried.
The acid of tamarind is considered an improvement, or “amchoor,” which is sliced green mangoe dried in salt.
68.—Beckty Fish Gravy Curry
Is sliced and washed in salt like the hilsa before being cooked. It is not usual to put any acid in the beckty fish curry.
69.—Prawn Doopiaja
Take one chittack and a half of mustard oil, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground turmeric, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, a quarter of a teaspoonful of garlic, twelve curry onions cut lengthways, each into six or eight slices, one cupful of water, and twelve large prawns.
Clean and thoroughly wash the prawns, rejecting the heads, or taking only their substance pounded and squeezed out with unroasted coriander-seed, and after parboiling the prawns make the doopiaja in all respects according to the ordinary mode.
70.—Sliced Hilsa Fish Fried in Curry Condiments
Take two teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, two teaspoonfuls of salt, half a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, and one chittack of mustard oil.
After slicing a hilsa in the manner directed for a curry, and having thoroughly cleaned and washed it with salt, rub into the slices all the ground condiments and the remaining salt, and allow them to remain for at least an hour. Warm the oil, and fry the slices of fish of a very light and bright brown. Serve up hot.
71.—Sliced Beckty Fish Fried in Curry Condiments
Slice, wash, and fry exactly as directed above. Fish served up in this manner is well suited to some European tastes, and makes an agreeable change to the ordinary mode of frying fish for breakfast.
72.—Egg Curry
Take six or eight eggs, boil hard, shell, cut into halves, and set them aside; take ghee, ground condiments, and sliced fried onions, in all respects the same as for a chicken doopiaja, and observe precisely the same method of cooking, keeping in mind the fact that, the eggs being already cooked or boiled, a smaller quantity of water and a shorter time to simmer will suffice.
73.—Egg Curry with Green Peas
This is a favourite curry with some families in winter, when the English green peas are procurable. The method of preparing it is exactly the same as recipe No. 71, allowing the curry to simmer until the peas are quite tender.
74.—Egg Curry, with Chunna Ka Dal
Parboil and dal, say half a cupful; curry the dal first; when about nearly cooked, throw in the hard-boiled eggs, and finish the simmering immediately the dal is soft or tender.
CHAHKEES
Chahkee is a term applied to vegetable curries, some of which are deservedly popular, and one in particular, which many families have daily during the season the vegetables are procurable, and yet never tire of, viz.—
75.—Seam, Potato, and Peas Chahkee
Take twenty seams, four new potatoes, and a quarter of a seer of green peas; divide each seam into three pieces, and throw into a bowl of water; divide each potato into four pieces, and throw into water; shell the peas, wash all thoroughly, put into a colander to drain, and cook with the following condiments:—One chittack and a half of mustard oil, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, and one cupful of water. Warm the oil, let it bubble well, and fry the ground condiments; when these are quite brown put in the vegetables and salt; let the whole fry, stirring it well; then add the water, and allow it to simmer over a slow fire until the vegetables are quite
tender.
N.B.—A cauliflower may be added if required for a change. 76.—Pulwal, Potatoes, and Torrie
Clean as much of the above three kinds of vegetables as will overfill a vegetable-dish, and make the chahkee in all respects as the foregoing.
77.—Red Pumpkin and Tamarind
A quarter of a red pumpkin and the pulp of two or three tamarinds will be enough. Dissolve the pulp of the tamarind in the water, and put it into the curry after the pumpkin has been fried.
78.—White Pumpkin and Tamarind
Chahkee it in the same way as the red pumpkin.
79.—White Pumpkin, Plain, Cut Small
It is not necessary to give any further instructions than those already given.
80.—Tomato with Tamarind
Take twenty tomatoes and the pulp of two or three tamarinds, and chahkee as directed for red pumpkin.
81.—Tomato, Plain
Chahkee twenty tomatoes according to instructions given for other chahkees.
N.B.—There is a fresh green herb called soa mattee, which is sometimes put into fish, vegetable, and other curries. Some Europeans like the flavour, and have it daily when procurable. Inquiry and trial are recommended.
SAUG CURRIES
Half an anna’s worth of any saug will suffice for a party of four, for curries made of greens, such as spinach, &c. The following condiments, &c., are used:—One chittack and a half of mustard oil, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one teaspoonful and a half of ground salt, and one cupful of water.
82.—Red Saug and Omra
The omra should be peeled, and half fried if large. Great care must be taken to thoroughly clean and wash the greens. Put them into a colander and allow all the water to drain away. Then warm the oil, and fry the ground condiments; then the saug and omra, and when crisp add the water and cook over a slow fire until the greens and omra are tender.
83.—Red Saug, Omra, and Shrimps
Observe in all respects the same process as that required in cooking without the shrimps, omitting the ginger.
84.—Red Saug and Prawns
The prawns should be parboiled, and then follow all the instructions in recipe No. 82.
85.—Green Saug with Prawns
Proceed in every particular as with the last.
86.—Danta Curry with Shrimps
The danta is a fine delicate long green pod which the horseradish-tree yields, and contains small peas; these pods are cut into lengths of three or four inches and cooked with shrimps. Beyond this explanation it is not necessary to enlarge upon the instructions already given.
87.—Khuttah Carree, or Acid Vegetable Curry
Take small quantities of all kinds of vegetables in season, but the best curry is that made of potatoes, kutchoo or artichoke, sweet potatoes or suckercund, carrots, red and white pumpkins, and tomatoes.
The vegetables should be cut into large pieces, and boiled in water with the following condiments:—Four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, and one teaspoonful of roasted and ground coriander-seed.
Prepare two large cups of tamarind water, slightly sweetened with jaggry, strain through a sieve, and add the strained water to the boiled vegetables with a few fresh chilies. Then melt in a separate pot one chittack or two ounces of mustard oil. While the oil is bubbling, fry in it a teaspoonful of the collinga, or onion-seeds, and when sufficiently fried pour it over the boiled vegetables including the tamarind water. Close up the pot, and allow it to simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, when it will be ready. It is eaten cold.
BHAHJEES
By bhahjee is meant fried. The two most generally approved vegetable bhahjees are those made of bringals and pulwals. The following are the condiments, &c., used:—Mustard oil according to the quantity of vegetable to be fried, a little ground turmeric and chilies, and some salt.
88.—Bringal Bhahjee
Take young full-sized bringals; wash them thoroughly, and slice them about an eighth of an inch thick; dry them, steep them for half an hour in the ground condiments and salt, fry in oil, and serve up hot.
89.—Pulwal Bhahjee
Take a dozen or more pulwals—a most excellent and wholesome native vegetable,—scrape or pare away very finely the upper green coating, divide them lengthways into two pieces, clear away all the seeds, &c., wash, drain away all the water, and steep them in ground turmeric, chilies, and salt for half an hour or longer; then fry them quite
crisp in melted mustard oil. They are much liked by some Europeans.
N.B.—The vegetable called ram’s horns or lady’s fingers, known by the natives as dharus, makes an excellent bhahjee; so does the kerrella, a small green and intensely bitter native vegetable, which comes into the market in March and April; it is not, however, well suited to the European taste.
DAL OR PEAS CURRIES
Half an anna’s worth of any dal will suffice for a party of four. The condiments are as follow:—Three-quarters of a chittack of ghee, four teaspoonfuls of ground onions, one teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground turmeric, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground garlic, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, and half a dozen onions cut into six or eight slices each.
90.—Moong Dal
Take half a pound of the raw dal, or say half a cupful; clean, pick, and roast it; mix it up with all the ground condiments and salt, put into a pot, pour water over the whole, some two inches above the dal, and boil it well, until the dal has quite dissolved. Be careful not to disturb it while in the process of boiling, but allow it to cake as it were en masse. When thoroughly boiled, churn the dal by twirling it in a wooden instrument called a ghootnee; then warm the ghee in a separate pot, fry the onions, chop them, and throw into the churned dal, after which pour the dal into the pot of melted ghee, and keep
stirring until the dal and ghee have well mixed; then put the cover on, and allow to simmer over a slow fire for about a quarter of an hour.
N.B.—The standard price of the best roasted moong dal is two annas and a half per seer.
91.—Mussoor or Red Dal
The process in all respects for preparing and cooking the red dal is the same as for the moong dal, excepting that, instead of fried sliced onions, a large clove of garlic is cut up small, fried, and takes the place of the onions.
The price of the best quality mussoor dal, free of husk, is two annas per seer.
92.—Mussoor Dal with Amchoor or with Tamarind
Put the amchoor, or, if preferred, tamarind, into the pot with the dal; allow it to dissolve, and when the dal is going through the
process of bring churned remove the hard stones of the amchoor or seeds of the tamarind.
93.—Mussoor Dal Chur Churree
Instead of only half a dozen onions, take a dozen, and cut them into fine slices lengthways. Warm the three-quarters of a chittack of ghee, fry and set aside the sliced onions, then fry all the ground condiments; next put in and fry the dal, having previously washed it well, soaked it in water for about a quarter of an hour, and drained it through a colander. When thoroughly fried and browned, add only a little water, barely sufficient to cover the fried dal, and allow to simmer from ten to fifteen minutes, or until the dal has dissolved. Serve up, strewing over it the fried onions. If chunna ka dal be used, soak it for an hour.
Other dals are occasionally served up, but very rarely at European tables. The price of the best clean chunna ka dal rarely exceeds two annas per seer.
94.—Dal Foolaree
Is much liked by Europeans, but is rarely served up well, owing to the trouble and time required in making it properly.
For the recipe see No. 223.
BURTAS OR MASHES
Burtas are mashes of potatoes and other vegetables, cold meats, dry fish, &c.; they are palatable, and much liked by most Europeans as accompaniments to curry and rice. The ingredients to almost every burta are the fine large white Patna onions, fresh green chilies, and the juice of fresh lemons.
95.—Potato Burta
Take a moderate or middling sized white Panta onion; remove the outer coats, and slice very fine; then slice or cut up two hot green chilies, and squeeze over the onion and chilies the juice of a fresh lime: allow to soak. Take eight or ten well-boiled potatoes, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of good mustard oil; bruise the potatoes down with a large silver or plated fork, adding, when they are half bruised, the onions and chilies, with as much only of the lime-juice as may be agreeable: mix all well together with a light hand, so that the potatoes may not cake, and yet be well and thoroughly mashed and mixed.
96.—Brinjal Burta
Prepare the sliced onions, chilies, and lime-juice in the manner directed for potato burta. Take two fine young brinjals of large size; carefully and thoroughly roast them in a quick ash fire; remove the ashes and burnt parts of the skin, if any; then open the brinjals, and with a clean spoon remove the contents to as near the skin as possible, to which add a good teaspoonful of salt and teaspoonful of mustard oil; work these with a spoon to a perfect pulp, throwing away the lumps or shreds if any; then mix with it all the onions, chilies, and lime-juice. If not to your taste, add more salt or lime-juice, according to fancy.
97.—Dry Fish Burta
Prepare onions, chilies, and lime-juice as before. Take a part of the Arabian dried beckty and well broil it; remove all the bones, and pound the fish to nearly a powder; mix it thoroughly with a teaspoonful of mustard oil, and add the onions, chilies, and lime-juice.
98.—Red Herring Burta
Take onions, chilies, and lime-juice. Place the herring, with its original paper packing, on a gridiron, or on a frying-pan, and warm it well; then clear it of all skin, very carefully pick out all the bones, bruise the herring, and mix it thoroughly with the sliced onions, chilies, and lime-juice.
N.B.—This is an inimitable burta.
99.—Cold Corned-Beef Burta
Steep sliced onions and chilies in lime-juice; have the red well-corned part of a cold round of beef nicely pounded; add to it the onions, chilies, and as much of the lime-juice as may be desirable.
100.—Cold Tongue Burta
The remains of a well-corned cold tongue make an excellent burta, as per recipe for cold beef burta.
101.—Cold Ham Burta
Is made in the same way as the beef and tongue burtas. 102.—Green Mango Burta
The condiments for this burta are a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground chilies, half a teaspoonful of ground fresh mint-leaves, half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of sugar.
Take two ordinary large-size green mangoes; peel, divide, and throw them into clean water, remove the stones, then bruise them to a perfect pulp with the aid of the curry-stone and muller. Care must be taken that the stone is perfectly clean, and will not impart the flavour of garlic or turmeric to the burta. Mix the sugar well with the pulp; if the mango be very acid, add a little more sugar; then mix it with the salt and ground condiments; more salt or sugar may be added if required.
103.—Tomato Burta
Bake in an oven a dozen good-sized tomatoes until the skin cracks; break them down, and mix with them a little ground chilies, ginger, salt, and half a teaspoonful of good mustard oil. A small squeeze of lemon-juice may be added if desired.
SOUPS
A digester is best adapted for boiling soups in, as no steam can escape, and consequently less water is required than in a common pot.
To extract the substance or essence of meat, long and slow boiling over a charcoal fire is absolutely necessary. In the first instance, however, it is desirable to boil up the meat with pepper and salt on a quick, brisk fire, and take away all the black scum which rises to the surface; then pour a little cold water into the pot to raise up the white scum, which also remove, and reduce the fire, taking care that in the process of slow-boiling the pot is never off the boil.
104.—Shin of Beef Soup
Take a shin of beef, cut it up small, wash it thoroughly, and boil with pepper and salt in sufficient water to well cover the meat. Let it boil over a brisk fire, taking away the black scum; add a little cold water, and skim off the white scum; then reduce the fire, and allow the soup to simmer until it somewhat thickens; strain the soup, cut away all the fat, season with soup herbs, and add more pepper and
