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A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook Title: The Indian Cookery Book (c.1900) Author: Anonymous eBook No.: 0500071h.html Edition: 1 Language: English Character set encoding: HTML--Latin-1(ISO-8859-1)--8 bit Date first posted: January 2005 Date most recently updated: January 2005 The plain text version of this eBook was produced by John Bickers and Dagny The original book contained no illustrations. The html version was produced by Col Choat. Images were taken from "Following the Equator", by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (See http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/9/2895/2895-h/2895-h.htm) Production note: 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. Project Gutenberg of Australia eBooks are created from printed editions which are in the public domain in Australia, unless a copyright notice is included. We do NOT keep any eBooks in compliance with a particular paper edition. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this file. This eBook is made available at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg of Australia License which may be viewed online at http://gutenberg.net.au/licence.html To contact Project Gutenberg of Australia go to http://gutenberg.net.au
PUBLISHED BY THACKER, SPINK & CO., CALCUTTA
In this ebook, there is no recipe for preparing elephant!
RICE OR CHOWL
1.--Boiled Rice
2.--Rice Conjee
3.--Rice Kheer
4.--Pish-Pash
KITCHEEREES
5.--Bhoonee Kitcheeree
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
9.--Bhoonee Kitcheeree of Green Peas
10.--Jurrud or Yellow-tinted Kitcheeree
11.--Geela Kitcheeree
PELLOW OR POOLOO
12.--Chicken Pellow
13.--Beef, Mutton, or Kid Pellow
14.--Prawn Pellow
15.--Lobster or Fish Pellow
CURRIES
GRAVY CURRIES
16.--Chicken Curry
17.--Kid Curry
18.--Veal Curry
19.--Mutton Curry
20.--Beef Curry
21.--Green Duck Curry
22.--Young Pigeon Curry
DOOPIAJAS
23.--Chicken Doopiaja
24.--Kid Doopiaja
25.--Veal Doopiaja
26.--Mutton Doopiaja
27.--Beef Doopiaja
28.--Duck Doopiaja
29.--Doopiaja of Pigeons
30.--Cold Boiled Pork Doopiaja
31.--Udder Doopiaja
32.--Udder and Beef Doopiaja
FORCEMEAT BALL CURRIES, OR
COFTA-KA-CARREE
33.--Beef Forcemeat Ball Curry
34.--Chicken Forcemeat Ball Curry
35.--Mutton Forcemeat Ball Curry
36.--Ball Curry of Liver and Udder
37.--Prawn Cofta Curry
38.--Lobster Cofta Curry
39.--Crab Cofta Curry
40.--Fish Cofta Curry
COUNTRY CAPTAIN
41.--Chicken Country Captain
42.--Kid Country Captain
43.--Veal Country Captain
44.--Jhal Frezee
HINDOOSTANEE CURRIES
45.--Seik Kawab
46.--Tick-keeah Kawab
HUSSANEE CURRIES, OR CURRIES ON
STICK
47.--Hussanee Beef Curry
48.--Hussanee Mutton Curry
49.--Hussanee Veal Curry
50.--Hussanee Curry of Udder and Liver
KURMA OR QUOREMA CURRY
51.--Quorema Curry, Plain
52.--Kid Quorema
53.--Fowl Quorema
MALAY CURRIES
54.--Cocoanut Milk
55.--Chicken Malay Gravy Curry with White Pumpkin
or Cucumber
56.--Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with White Pumpkin or
Cucumber
57.--Chicken Malay Gravy Curry with Pulwal
58.--Prawn Malay Gravy Curry with Pulwal
59.--Chicken Malay Doopiaja
60.--Prawn Malay Doopiaja
PORTUGUESE CURRY (VINDALOO OR
BINDALOO)
61.--Beef Vindaloo
62.--Pork Vindaloo
63.--Duck Vindaloo
64.--Pickled Vindaloo
65.--Curry Paste
MADRAS MULLIGATAWNY CURRY
66.--Gravy Fish Curries
67.--Hilsa Fish Gravy Curry
68.--Beckty Fish Gravy Curry
69.--Prawn Doopiaja
70.--Sliced Hilsa Fish Fried in Curry
Condiments
71.--Sliced Beckty Fish Fried in Curry
Condiments
72.--Egg Curry
73.--Egg Curry with Green Peas
74.--Egg Curry, with Chunna Ka Dal
CHAHKEES
75.--Seam, Potato, and Peas Chahkee
76.--Pulwal, Potatoes, and Torrie
77.--Red Pumpkin and Tamarind
78.--White Pumpkin and Tamarind
79.--White Pumpkin, Plain, Cut Small
80.--Tomato with Tamarind
81.--Tomato, Plain
SAUG CURRIES
82.--Red Saug and Omra
83.--Red Saug, Omra, and Shrimps
84.--Red Saug and Prawns
85.--Green Saug with Prawns
86.--Danta Curry with Shrimps
87.--Khuttah Carree, or Acid Vegetable
Curry
BHAHJEES
88.--Bringal Bhahjee
89.--Pulwal Bhahjee
DAL OR PEAS CURRIES
90.--Moong Dal
91.--Mussoor or Red Dal
92.--Mussoor Dal with Amchoor or with
Tamarind
93.--Mussoor Dal Chur Churree
94.--Dal Foolaree
BURTAS OR MASHES
95.--Potato Burta
96.--Brinjal Burta
97.--Dry Fish Burta
98.--Red Herring Burta
99.--Cold Corned-Beef Burta
100.--Cold Tongue Burta
101.--Cold Ham Burta
102.--Green Mango Burta
103.--Tomato Burta
SOUPS
104.--Shin of Beef Soup
105.--Shin of Beef Soup, with Forcemeat and Egg
Balls
106.--Vermicelli Soup
107.--Macaroni Soup
108.--Mulligatawny Soup
109.--Another Way
110.--Delicious Curry Soup
111.--Bright Onion Soup
112.--Bridal Soup, or Soup Elegant
113.--Soup Royal
FISH
114.--Fish Mooloo
115.--Another Way
116.--Another Way
117.--Prawn Cutlet
118.--Crabs in Shell
119.--Tamarind Fish
120.--Smoked Fish
121.--Dried Prawns
122.--Prawn Powder
JOINTS, MADE DISHES, ETC.
123.--Corned Round of Beef
124.--Beef a la Mode
125.--Le Fricandeau de Veau
126.--Hunter's Beef, or Spiced Beef
127.--Collared Brisket
128.--Spiced Collared Brisket
129.--Pigeons with Petit Pois
130.--Ducks with Green Olives
131.--Kidney Stew
132.--French Mutton Chops
133.--Mutton Stew
134.--Mutton Brains and Love Apples
135.--Kid Roasted Whole
136.--Potato Pie
137.--Minced Veal Potato Pie
138.--Beef Steak and Pigeon Pie
139.--Veal Pie
140.--Macaroni Pie
141.--Alderman's Mock Turtle Pie
142.--Sauce for Alderman's Mock Turtle
Pie
143.--Friar Tuck's Mock Venison Pastry
Pie
144.--Sauce for Friar Tuck's Mock Venison Pastry
Pie
145.--Leg of Mutton Dumpling
146.--Sausage Rolls
147.--Dumpode Goose (Indian Way)
148.--Dumpode Duck (Eastern Way)
149.--Fowl a la Cardinal, or Dumpode Capon or
Fowl
150.--Brisket of Beef Trambland
151.--Mutton Trambland
152.--Bubble and Squeak
153.--To Stew a Fillet of Veal
154.--Veal Cutlets
155.--Kidney Toasts
156.--Rolled Mutton
157.--Haggis
158.--To Boil Marrow-bones
159.--Beef or Mutton Baked with Potatoes
160.--Olive Royals
161.--To Boil Ox-Cheek
162.--To Stew Ox-Cheek
163.--Dressed Ox-Cheek
164.--Potted Ox-Cheek
165.--Breasts of Mutton a la Ste. Menoult
166.--To Cure Mutton Ham
167.--Meat or Birds in Jelly
168.--Pigeons in Savoury Jelly
VEGETABLES
169.--To Boil Potatoes
170.--Another Way
171.--To Broil Boiled Potatoes
172.--To Brown Potatoes under Meat while
Roasting
173.--Potato Ribbons
174.--To Boil Turnips
175.--To Dress Young Turnips
176.--To Boil Spinach
177.--Another Way
178.--To Boil Cauliflowers
179.--To Boil French Beans
180.--To Boil Asparagus
181.--Asparagus a la Francais
182.--To Boil Brocoli
183.--To Boil Artichokes
184.--To Boil Young Green Cabbages
185.--To Stew Cucumbers
186.--Another Way
187.--To Stew Mushrooms
188.--Another Way
189.--To Roast Onions
190.--Onions, Plain Boiled
191.--To Boil Carrots
192.--Carrots, Flemish Way
193.--Green Peas Stewed
194.--To Boil Green Peas
195.--To Stew Young Peas and Lettuce
196.--Peas for a Second-course Dish, a la
Francais
197.--To Steam Peas
198.--Vegetable Mash
PASTRY, PUDDINGS, SWEETMEATS, ETC.
199.--Pastry for Pies and Tarts
200.--Pastry for Friar Tuck's Mock Venison Pastry
Pie
201.--Custard
202.--Orange Custard
203.--Chocolate Custard
204.--Almond Custard
205.--Princess Royal Custard
206.--Rose-bloom Custard
207.--Blanc Mange
208.--Another Way
209.--Rice Blanc Mange
210.--Corn-flour Blanc Mange
211.--Christmas Plum Pudding (Indian Way)
212.--Bombay Pudding
213.--Another Way
214.--Cocoanut Rice Pudding
215.--Indian Lemon Pudding
216.--Marmalade Pudding
217.--Custard Pudding
218.--Macaroni
219.--Tart and Pie Crusts of Soojee
220.--Chappatee or Hand-Bread
221.--Dalpooree
222.--Dal Pittas
223.--Prawn Doopiaja Pittas
224.--Prawn Doopiaja Loaf
225.--Fowl Doopiaja Loaf
226.--Falooree
227.--Cocoanut Pittas
228.--Plantain Fritters
229.--Fried Plantains
230.--Bibinca Dosee, or Portuguese Cocoanut
Pudding
231.--Bole Comadree, or Portuguese Cocoanut
Pudding with Jagree
232.--Goolgoola, or Fritters
233.--Another Way (as usually served on the
tea-table)
234.--Cajure
235.--Hulluah
236.--Another Way
237.--A Two-pound or One-seer Plum Cake
238.--Swiss Cakes
239.--Queen Cakes
240.--Shrewsbury Cakes
241.--Another Way
242.--Shortbread
243.--Scotch Shortbread
244.--Another Way
245.--Gingerbread Nuts
246.--Another Way
247.--Ginger Cakes
248.--Gingerbread Spiced
249.--American Gingerbread
250.--Rich Gingerbread Cakes
251.--Indian Gingerbread
252.--Oatmeal Gingerbread
253.--Excellent Cheesecakes, known at Richmond as
"Maids of Honour"
254.--Cocoanut Cheesecakes
255.--Buns
256.--Rout Cakes
257.--French Pancakes
258.--Common Pancakes
259.--Indian Pancakes
260.--Pink Pancakes
261.--Mango Fool
262.--Another Way
263.--Pink Mango Fool
264.--Vanilla Drops
265.--Mincemeat
266.--Another Way
267.--Ornaments for Custards or Creams
268.--Colouring for Jellies, Creams, Ices, and
Cakes
269.--Colouring Mixtures
270.--Frost or Icing for Cakes
271.--Another Way
272.--Coloured Icings
273.--Fine Icing for Tarts and Puffs
274.--Raspberry Iced Cream
275.--Apricot Iced Cream
276.--Mille Fruit Iced Cream
277.--Orange-water Iced
278.--Juice of Fruit Iced
279.--Orange Iced Cream
280.--Bael Sherbet
281.--Mallie, or Cream as prepared by the
Natives
282.--Tyre or Dhye
283.--Yeast
284.--Another Way
GARNISHES, SAUCES, STUFFINGS, ETC., FOR FISH,
ROAST AND BOILED MEATS, MADE DISHES, PUDDINGS, ETC.
285.--Casserole of Potatoes
286.--Rissoles or Croquets
287.--Fricandellans
288.--Forcemeat
289.--Forcemeat balls
290.--Another Way
291.--Forcemeat Onions
292.--Forcemeat for Fish
293.--Egg Balls
294.--Brain Cakes
295.--Another Way
296.--Sauce for Salads
297.--Sauce for Lobster Salad
298.--Excellent Fish Sauce
299.--Sauce for Boiled Mutton or Boiled Brisket
of Beef
300.--Fresh Tomato Gravy Sauce for Made
Dishes
301.--Tapp Sauce Gravy for Made Dishes
302.--Sauce for Cucumber Salad
303.--Parsley Sauce
304.--Onion Sauce
305.--White Onion Sauce
306.--Brown Onion Sauce for Gravy
307.--Sauce for Boiled Beef
308.--Sauce for any kind of Meat
309.--Lobster Sauce
310.--Oyster Sauce
311.--Sauce for Roast Beef
312.--To make a Quart Bottle of Fish or Meat
Sauce
313.--Pink Sauce for Fish
314.--Bread Sauce
315.--Apple Sauce
316.--Egg Sauce
317.--Shrimp Sauce
318.--Mint Sauce
319.--Pudding Sauce
320.--Parsley and Butter
321.--Melted Butter
322.--French Melted Butter
323.--Stuffing for Hare or Kid
324.--Stuffing peculiar for Fowls only
325.--Stuffing for Roast Pig, Roast Kid, Fillets
of Veal, and Duck
326.--Stuffing for Boiled Turkey, Goose, or
Duck
327.--Stuffing for Roast Duck
328.--Stuffing for Roast Turkey or Goose
329.--Jelly for Cooked Birds, Meats, or Made
Dishes
INDIAN PICKLES, CHUTNEES, SAUCES,
ETC.
330.--Love-apple or Tomato Sauce
331.--Tomato or Love-apple Chutnee
332.--Tapp Sauce
333.--Sweet Chutnee
334.--Another Way
335.--Sweet Mango Chutnee
336.--Hot Sweet Mango Chutnee
337.--Tamarind Chutnee
338.--Cussoondee
339.--Mango Amchoor
340.--Pickled Cabbage
341.--Red Cabbage Pickle
342.--Red Cauliflower Pickle
343.--Patna or Bombay Onion Pickle
344.--Mangoes Pickled Whole
345.--Sweet Mango Pickle
346.--Long Plum Pickle
347.--Sweet Long Plum Pickle
348.--Round Plum Pickle
349.--Round Plum Pickle with Mustard Oil
350.--Dry Fruit Pickle
351.--Green Mint Vinegar
352.--Another Way
353.--Horseradish Vinegar
354.--Chili Vinegar
355.--Essence of Chilies
356.--To Preserve Lime-juice
357.--To Purify Lime-juice
358.--Green Mint-juice
359.--Green Ginger-juice
360.--Juice of Onions and Garlic
361.--Mustard
INDIAN PRESERVES, JAMS, JELLIES, AND
MARMALADES
362.--To Detect Adulteration of Sugar
363.--White Syrup
364.--Brown Syrup
365.--To Clarify Sugar
366.--Capillaire
367.--Ceylon Moss, Seaweed, and Iceland Moss
Preserves
368.--Guava Jelly
369.--Guava Cheese
370.--Mango Jelly
371.--Mango Marmalade
372.--Green Mango Preserve
373.--Another Way
374.--Pine-apple Preserve
375.--Another Way
376.--Peach Preserve
377.--Another Way
378.--Pulwal Preserve
379.--Another Way
380.--Candied Pulwal
381.--Tipparee (commonly called Gooseberry)
Preserve
382.--Tipparee Jelly
383.--Tipparee Cheese or Marmalade
384.--To Preserve Tamarinds
385.--Bael Preserve
386.--Bael Jam
387.--Candied Bael
388.--Orange Jelly
389.--Damson Cheese
390.--Apricot Cheese
391.--Orange Marmalade
392.--Another Way
393.--Indian Way of Making Calf's-Foot
Jelly
HOME-MADE LIQUEURS
394.--Cream of Citron
395.--Cream of Cloves
396.--Cream of Noyau
397.--Pink Noyau
398.--Cream of Aniseed
399.--Cream of Cinnamon
400.--Rose Cream
401.--Cream of Mint
402.--Cream of Vanilla
403.--Golden Wasser or Dantzic Brandy
404.--Curacao
405.--Punch a la Romain
406.--Mint Beer
407.--Another Way
408.--Ginger Beer
409.--"The Commander-in-Chief"
410.--Regent Punch
411.--Milk Punch
412.--Another Way
413.--Ginger Pop
414.--Imperial Pop
415.--Negus
416.--Flash
417.--Sherry Cobbler
418.--Apricot Effervescing Drink
419.--Mint Julep
420.--Orangeade
421.--Orgeat
422.--Poor Man's Champagne
423.--Royal Lemonade
424.--Summer Beverage
425.--Lemon Barley-water
MEDICINAL AND OTHER RECIPES
426.--Barley-water for the Sick Chamber
427.--To Cure the Sting of a Wasp
428.--To Cure Deafness from Deficient Secretion
of Wax
429.--Cure for Cramp in the Legs
430.--Emetic Draught
431.--Another Recipe
432.--Another Recipe
433.--Cure for Tic-doloreux or Neuralgia
434.--To Cure Hiccough or Hiccup
435.--Cure for Colds
436.--Mixture for Recent Coughs
437.--Emulsion for Recent Coughs
438.--Emulsion for Old Coughs
439.--Cure for Hooping-cough
440.--Roche's Embrocation for
Hooping-cough
441.--Valuable Lotion for Hooping-cough,
&c.
442.--Warm Plaster
443.--Gargle for Irritation and Inflammation in
the Throat
444.--Another Recipe
445.--A Good Gargle for Sore Throats
446.--Excellent Domestic Gargle
447.--Remedy for Sprains
448.--Another Recipe
449.--Embrocation for Sprains and Bruises
450.--Another Recipe
451.--Lime Liniment for Burns, Scalds,
&c.
452.--Spermaceti Ointment for Dressing
Blisters
453.--To Prevent Galling in Persons confined to
their Beds
454.--Anodyne Fomentation
455.--Common Fomentation
456.--Nitric Acid Lotion
457.--Cure for Bowel Complaint
458.--Another Recipe
459.--Compound Infusion of Senna
460.--Warm Purgative Tincture
461.--Tonic Aperient Mixture
462.--Mild Aperient Pills
463.--Digestive Aperient Pills
464.--Worm Powder
465.--Infallible Cure for Tapeworm
466.--Cure for Ringworm
467.--Quinine Draught
468.--Seidlitz Powders
469.--Ginger-beer Powders
470.--Lemonade Powders
PERFUMERY, COSMETICS, AND
DENTIFRICE
471.--Indian Mode of Preparing Perfumed
Oils
472.--Remedy for Scurf in the Head
473.--Imitative Bears' Grease
474.--Hair Grease
475.--Pomatum
476.--Another Recipe
477.--Pomade for Hair that is Falling off
478.--Pomade Divine
479.--Another Recipe
480.--Bandoline for the Hair
481.--Dentifrice
482.--Another Recipe
483.--Another Recipe
484.--Rose Lip-salve
485.--Essence of Roses
486.--Essence of Lemon-peel
487.--Eau de Cologne
488.--Lavender-water
MISCELLANEOUS USEFUL RECIPES
489.--To Unite Broken Glass or China
490.--Cement for Attaching Metal to Glass or
Porcelain
491.--Japanese Cement
492.--To Clean Silks, Satins, Coloured Woollen
Dresses, &c.
493.--To Remove Stains from Mourning
Dresses
494.--To Remove Ironmould
495.--To Clean Kid Gloves
496.--To Clean Feathers
497.--To Wash Lace
498.--To Wash Head and Clothes Brushe
499.--To Clean Gold Chains, Earrings,
&c.
500.--To Clean Plate
501.--To Clean Marble
THINGS WORTH KNOWING
502.--To Make Stale Bread Fresh
503.--How to Select and Keep Coffee
504.--Lettuce Salad
505.--Substitute for Cream in Tea or
Coffee
506.--Another Way
507.--To Protect Bed Linen and Curtains from
Burning
508.--To Prevent the Smoking of a Lamp
509.--Transparent Paper
510.--To Take Impressions of Leaves
511.--To Take Impressions of Leaves on Silk,
&c.
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 breakfast-cup, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:--
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.
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.
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:--
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.
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.
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.
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.
The following directions for an every-day gravy chicken curry will apply equally to all ordinary meat gravy curries:--
Take one chittack or two ounces of ghee, two breakfast-cupfuls 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 breakfast-cupful 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:--
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 air-tight.
When required for use, take out only as much as will suffice, and simply warm it in a little of its own gravy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Take twenty tomatoes and the pulp of two or three tamarinds, and chahkee as directed for red pumpkin.
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.
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.
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.
The prawns should be parboiled, and then follow all the instructions in recipe No. 82.
Proceed in every particular as with the last.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The remains of a well-corned cold tongue make an excellent burta, as per recipe for cold beef burta.
Is made in the same way as the beef and tongue burtas.
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.
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.
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.
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 salt if necessary. Give it a good boil up, and then clear it with the white of an egg well beaten up, after which add a tablespoonful of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce, and half a wineglassful of sherry.
105.--Shin of Beef Soup, with Forcemeat and Egg Balls
Prepare a shin of beef soup in all respects according to the above directions; clear with an egg well beaten up, add to it sauce, sherry, forcemeat, and egg balls.
Prepare a shin of beef soup as directed above, omitting the sauce and sherry. Parboil some vermicelli, and after clearing the soup with the white of an egg, add to it the parboiled vermicelli, and give it all a good boil up before serving.
Prepare a shin of beef soup as directed above, omitting the sauce and wine; boil some macaroni until perfectly tender; clear the soup with the white of an egg, then add the boiled macaroni, and warm up before serving.
Prepare a shin of beef soup as above, omitting the sauce, wine, and white of egg; set the soup aside. Take a full-sized curry chicken; cut it up into sixteen or eighteen pieces, and wash them thoroughly. Warm a pot and melt it into two chittacks or four ounces of ghee; fry in it some finely-sliced onions, and set aside. Then fry in the melted ghee the following condiments, &c.:--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, half a teaspoonful of roasted and ground coriander-seed, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of roasted and ground cumin-seed.
Sprinkle a little water over these while frying; then add the cut-up chicken with two teaspoonfuls of salt. When nearly brown, add one chittack or two ounces of roasted and ground poppy-seeds; pour in the beef soup, add the fried onion and half a dozen of the kurreah fool leaves, close the pot, and allow the whole to simmer over a slow fire until the chicken be perfectly tender. Serve up hot, with limes cut in slices on a separate plate.
Prepare a shin of beef as directed above. Cut up a chicken; wash it and set it aside. Heat a pot and melt in it two chittacks or four ounces of ghee. After frying in it and setting aside some finely-sliced onions, fry the condiments in the proportions given in the foregoing recipe; then add the cut-up chicken with two teaspoonfuls of salt; brown it nicely; have ready two chittacks or four ounces of roasted and ground chunna ka or gram dal, which mix thoroughly in a cup of strong cocoanut milk, and pour over the chicken just as it has become brown; stir it well, and add the fried onions and the soup, with half a dozen of the kurreah fool leaves; close the pot, and allow the whole to simmer for three-quarters of an hour. Serve up hot, with limes, either whole or cut in slices, on a separate plate.
Prepare a strong beef soup; slice some onions, and cut up a chicken; take curry condiments as directed above, omitting the coriander and cumin seed; melt two chittacks or four ounces of ghee; fry and set aside the sliced onions, then fry the condiments, add the cut-up chicken, and fry that also. In a part of the beef soup boil a spoonful of tamarind, so as to separate the stocks and stones; strain and stir it into the fried chicken. After a while add the remainder of the beef soup, with half a dozen kurreah fool leaves, and the friend onions; close up the pot, and continue to simmer the whole until the chicken is quite tender. Serve up hot.
Take a shoulder of veal; cut it up small, breaking all the bones; wash it thoroughly, put it into a pan with pepper, salt, and water, boil it well, and remove all the scum as it rises; reduce the fire, and let it simmer until the meat is perfectly dissolved; strain it, cut away all the fat, add soup herbs, and more pepper and salt if required; give it a boil up, and clear it with the white of an egg well beaten up; slice very fine some pure silvery white Patna onions, and steep them in boiling water, changing the water three or four times, every ten minutes; drain away all the water and add the onions to the soup; boil, and serve up hot.
112.--Bridal Soup, or Soup Elegant
Take two large shoulders of veal; cut them up small, bones and all, and, after washing thoroughly, boil over a brisk fire, with white pepper and the best white salt. Be careful that the scum that rises is well skimmed; reduce the fire, and allow it to simmer until the meat falls off the bones; strain the soup, let it cool, and then thoroughly free it of all fat; return it into a clean digester, add more salt and white pepper if necessary, and some white stocks of celery; boil it, and clear it with the whites of two eggs well beaten up; strain through flannel and set aside.
Take the best and most transparent parts of a calf's head and the tongue, and boil perfectly tender without reducing them to shreds, being careful to remove all the scum that rises to the surface; lay the boiled tongue and meat out on a clean dish; slice the tongue fine, and cut out all manner of devices, such as, diamonds, squares, circles, hearts, stars, &c.; do the same with the best and cleanest parts of meat selected from the head; take care that no particles of scum or other impurities be adhering to them; where any does adhere, rinse it off in a little of the cleared soup; then place them carefully into the tureen in which it is purposed to serve up the soup. If fancy macaroni be procurable, a tablespoonful may be boiled tender, free of all particles of dust or powder, and added to the cut-up meat and tongue, over which pour the boiling-hot soup; add to it a wineglassful of the palest sherry, and serve up hot.
N.B.--The calf's tongue and meat of the head may be boiled with the veal, but they should be removed when tender, and not allowed to dissolve with the longer simmering of the veal.
This is an elegant soup, beautifully transparent, and of the colour of light champagne.
Take a shin of beef, the best parts of meat cut off from a calf's head, and the tongue; cut the beef into small particles, but leave the tongue and the meat from the calf's head whole; add pepper and salt, and boil well, clearing the scum as it rises; remove the tongue and the meat of the calf's head when sufficiently tender, but continue to boil the shin of beef until it is well dissolved; then strain it, and cut away all the fat; put it up again with plenty of soup herbs, and more salt and pepper if necessary; boil it well up; squeeze into the soup the juice of half a lemon, and skim it well; strain it once more, and set it aside.
Cut the tongue into slices of an eighth of an inch thick, trim them into the shape of large diamonds, and set aside. Cut up the meat of the calf's head into one-inch squares and strips of an inch and a half long and half an inch wide; add to these a few ready-fried circular flat brain cakes, make also a few egg balls and forcemeat balls, and, after cooking, add them to the rest of the meat, tongue, &c., and set aside.
Take four red carrots, one pound of green peas, half a pound of boiled potatoes, one large turnip, one large Patna onion, a quarter of a pound of roasted and ground split peas or gram dal, some soup herbs, pepper, and salt, the pulp of one orange, and the peels of half an orange and half a lemon. Put these into a stewpan with water sufficient to cover the whole; boil them thoroughly, skimming all the while; when perfectly dissolved, turn them out into a colander and allow all the water to drain away; then turn the contents of the colander into a sieve, and pass the vegetables, &c., through it, rejecting all such as will not pass. Add the whole, or a part of the strained vegetables to the soup, which should not be thicker in consistency than a good thick potato soup.
Next stew one dozen good French prunes in a claret-glassful of port wine, which also strain through a sieve, rejecting stones, &c., and add the strained portion to the soup; then boil the whole, strain it once more, add to it all the forcemeat and egg balls, the brain cakes, tongue, &c., and serve up, adding to it more salt, wine, or sauce, if needed.
N.B.--This soup properly made is without its equal.
Fry the fish and let it cool. Scrape a cocoanut, put a teacupful of hot water into it, rub it well, strain it and put aside; then put two spoonfuls more of water; strain this also; cut up three or four green chilies, and as many onions as you like, with half a garlic. Fry them with a little ghee, and whilst frying put the last straining of the cocoanut water in with the ingredients till it is dry; then add the first water of the nut, and pour the whole over the fish, with some vinegar, ginger, whole pepper, and salt to your taste.
Fry in a little ghee three or four chilies cut up, half a clove of garlic, and some sliced onions. When half fried, add two tablespoonfuls of cocoanut milk, and continue to fry until dry; then stir into it a teacupful of cocoanut milk, a little vinegar, some sliced ginger, peppercorns, and salt to taste, and while hot pour it over a cold fried or boiled fish.
Cut up a fish into small, two-inch squares, and fry in ghee, with egg, bread-crumbs, and turmeric, of a nice brown colour. Boil in cocoanut milk some sliced green ginger and sliced green chilies; then add the fish, with salt to taste, and let it stew until the sauce has thickened. Serve up hot.
Shell and wash the prawns; remove the heads, but leave the tails; slit them down in the centre, and gently beat them flat with a rolling-pin; sprinkle them with pepper and salt, and some finely-minced soup herbs; rub them over with yolk of eggs, and dredge with flour; fry over a very moderate fire to a rich light brown colour. Garnish the dish with fried green parsley, or serve up with tomato sauce gravy as per recipe No. 300.
Clean and boil the crabs in salt; remove them out of the shells; pick and clean them well, and reserve the coral for dressing.
Chop and mince fine the crabs; add some onion and ginger juice, a little lime-juice, pepper, and salt, and a little mushroom catsup. Melt some butter, and fry the mixture in it until the butter be absorbed; then add a little stock, and remove from the fire immediately the stock begins to dry. Butter the shells, and fill with the mixture. The meat of six crabs will refill five shells. Take some finely-sifted bread-crumbs; grind down the coral, and put it over the mixture on the shells, with the bread-crumbs, and bits of butter; bake for a few minutes.
Make a thick pickle of ripe tamarinds, good English vinegar, and a little salt; pass through a sieve, rejecting all stones and fibres. Select really good fresh hilsa fish, full size, with roes. Remove all the scales and fins, cut away the heads and tails, remove the roes, clean out the fish inside, and then slice up, an inch thick. Wipe away all blood, &c., with a clean dry towel. Care must be taken to use no water in the cleaning of the fish or in the preparation of the pickle. The board on which the fish is cut up, and also the knife, must be very clean. After all the blood, &c., has been thoroughly cleaned and wiped away, lay out the slices of fish and roe on a clean dish, sprinkle thickly with salt, and place over them a wire dish-cover to keep away the flies. Four or five hours afterwards put a layer of the pickle into a wide-mouthed bottle or jar, and a thick coating of pickle over each slice of fish and the roes, after washing away the salt with a little vinegar; lay them in order in the jar, until the last of the fish is put in; then be careful to put in a very thick layer of the pickle. Cork the jar securely, and tie it down with a good bladder to keep it air-tight, and in three weeks it will be fit for use. It is desirable to fill each jar well up to the mouth, to effect which the jars or bottles to be selected should be of the required size.
N.B.--If the fish be really fresh, all the ingredients of good quality, and no water used in the operation of cleaning and pickling, the jars well filled, and mouths secured with sound bladder, the fish will keep good for months, and will be fit to send home.
The mango fish, beckty, or hilsa should be cut down the back, spread open, and well washed and salted. Have a bright charcoal fire, and sprinkle over it some bran, with brown sugar; cover the fire with an open-work bamboo basket, having over it a coarse duster; arrange the fish over the duster, and allow them to smoke. When one side has browned, turn and brown the other side. As the smoke decreases, add more bran, and fan up the fire. A duster thrown over the fish while smoking will facilitate the operation.
Strip the prawns of their shells; keep them for a day in salt mixed with turmeric; then string and put them out in the sun daily for fifteen or twenty days.
Take a seer of dry prawns; wash them well, dry over the fire until crisp, pound fine, with some red pepper and nutmeg, pass through a sieve, and bottle for use. A teaspoonful spread over bread and butter is considered a relish.
Select a good round of beef four days previously to it being required for the table, together with two seers of cooking salt, eight fresh juicy limes, one anna-worth of saltpetre, and a tablespoonful of suckur, a description of moist brown sugar. Pound fine the saltpetre; put the rind of four limes, pared fine, into a marble mortar, with a tablespoonful of brandy or other spirit; bruise and pound it well, adding to it the suckur or brown sugar, and gradually half the powdered saltpetre; mix all well together. Take one seer of the salt, and mix into it the contents of the marble mortar; divide the mixture into four equal parts, and rub briskly one-fourth part of it into the round; puncture the beef lightly during the operation with a clean bright steel sailmaker's needle, to allow the mixture to penetrate more freely. An hour or two after take another fourth of the mixture; squeeze into it the juice of the four limes from which the rind had been removed, and repeat the operation of rubbing it into the round, puncturing it lightly with the needle; turn the beef over from side to side continually, so that one side do not soak or steep more in the brine than another; repeat the operation of rubbing it well several times during the day. Next morning place it on a dry dish, and rub into it another fourth part of the prepared salt; let it stand for an hour or so, then pour over it the old brine; repeat the rubbing two or three times during the day, turning the beef continually. On the third day rub half of the remaining saltpetre into the beef dry, and allow it to stand for an hour or two; then add the rest of the saltpetre and the juice of the four limes to the remaining fourth part of the mixture, in which keep turning and rubbing the beef during the day as before; in the evening pour over it the stale brine, cover it thickly with the one seer of remaining salt, and place a heavy weight upon it, until required to be boiled the next day.
Corn a round of beef in every particular as directed above, and twenty-four hours previously to its being cooked lard it as follows with the undermentioned ingredients:--Four pounds of lard or fat bacon, half a tablespoonful of cinnamon powdered, half a seer or one pound of finely-powdered pepper, one tablespoonful of cloves powdered, and four tablespoonfuls of chutnee strained through muslin. Mix the ground pepper, ground hot spices, and strained chutnee with a claret-glassful of mixed sauces, such as Harvey, walnut, Worcestershire, tap, tomato, &c. Cut up into long narrow slips the lard or bacon to correspond in thickness with the larding-pin, and lay the slips into the mixture of spices, sauces, &c., for an hour or two before larding the beef, which should be larded through and through, and as closely as possible.
Cook it the next day, either in plain water, with half a pint of vinegar, and with bay-leaves and peppercorns, as is usual, or in a preparation of claret or champagne with vinegar, bay-leaves, &c. This is not necessary, but it tends to the improvement of the flavour at some considerable cost.
Take a large leg of veal; remove the knuckle-bone; corn and lard it in all respects like a beef à la mode, reducing the ingredients in proportion to the difference in size and weight between a round of beef and the leg of veal. Boil, baste, and glaze it well in the liquor in which it is boiled. Serve up with all sorts of boiled and glazed vegetables.
126.--Hunter's Beef, or Spiced Beef
Corn a round of beef, as per recipe No. 123, with the addition of large quantities of finely-ground pepper and hot spices. Some of the pepper and spice should be well rubbed in with the saltpetre, and the beef should be punctured well the whole time with a needle to insure the saltpetre and spices penetrating. After the dry saltpetre and spice have been well rubbed in, prepare a mixture of salt, saltpetre, suckur, lemon-rind, pepper, and spice, and rub in one-fourth of the mixture, continuing to puncture the beef. Add subsequently to the brine the juice of lemon, and observe closely all the instructions given in recipe No. 123. On the seventh day remove the beef from the brine; rub it well with two tablespoonfuls of finely-powdered spices and pepper; inclose it thoroughly in skins of fat, and then in a strong coarse pie-crust, and bake it in a good oven. A baker's oven is the best.
Bone a brisket of beef; rub into it saltpetre, suckur or brown sugar, and one seer of salt, with some lime-juice; keep it in the brine for thirty-six hours, rubbing it continually. Then remove it from the brine, and clear away all the salt. Roll the beef tightly into a collar, secure it well, inclose it in a stout duster, and boil it.
The process is the same as the above, but if the beef be required to keep for any lengthened time the quantity of salt ought to be doubled, the beef kept in the brine for seventy-two hours, and hot spices, pepper, chutnee, and sauces added. The beef after being rolled should be packed in the skin of fat, then in a coarse pastry, instead of in plantain-leaf, and baked in a baker's oven.
Kill and feather, with plunging into hot water, four young, full-grown pigeons, taking care not to break their skins; singe them, to destroy any remaining feathers; then wash them in three or four cold waters, cut them in halves, dredge them well with salt and finely-sifted pepper, and allow to remain for an hour. Then boil up two tablespoonfuls of ghee or lard, and fry the birds to a rich brown, turning them over. When sufficiently browned, put in a cupful of beef stock, and allow to simmer until the birds are quite tender; pour over them a tin of petit pois with their gravy, and serve up hot.
Choose young, full-grown, tender ducks; feather and singe them as directed in the foregoing recipe, after which wash them in three or four cold waters; stuff the ducks according to recipe No. 325, and bake in a deep dish in a moderate oven until brown; then add a good beef stock with sliced onions, and bake until the stock is reduced; remove the ducks, and put into the pan the contents of a bottle of olives stoned, and allow to bake for ten or fifteen minutes to soften the olives; place the ducks on a clean dish, arrange the olives round the ducks, and pour the gravy over. Serve up hot.
Steep in lukewarm water for a few minutes a dozen mutton kidneys, and remove the white skin or coat which will become perceptible; cut into halves or quarter them, wash in three or four waters, and allow them to remain as long as possible in pepper, salt, and the juice of onions, ginger, and garlic; boil up three dessertspoonfuls of ghee or lard in a deep frying-pan, throw in the kidneys with the juice, put in half a clove of garlic, and cover over the whole with eight large Patna onions sliced each into eight slices, and separated so as to cover over the whole surface of the pan; pour over it as much hot stock as will keep all the onions under, and simmer over a slow fire until the onions disappear, when serve up quite hot.
Take half a dozen chops cut from a breast of mutton, throwing away the intermediate bones--that is to say, allow the meat of two chops to remain on one bone. Wash, dry, and steep the chops for an hour or two before dinner in the juice of onions, ginger, and garlic--say four teaspoonfuls of the first to three of the second and two of the last. Mix on a large board pepper, salt, and flour, with which dredge the chops thoroughly, and fry quickly in boiling ghee or lard, taking care in turning over and removing the chops not to use a fork or anything likely to occasion any wound to the chops, which should be held by the bones with a pair of pincers. Serve up hot immediately they have become of a good rich brown colour.
Cut up a breast of mutton in the usual way for a stew; wash and dry the meat. Take of the juice of onions one tablespoonful, of ginger half a tablespoonful, and of garlic a quarter of a tablespoonful; mix with the meat, add pepper and salt, and allow to stand for any time from one to four hours.
Fry in a large stewpan two tablespoonfuls of ghee or lard, and when on the boil fry to a nice brown all the meat only; afterwards pour in the liquor in which the meat has been steeped, and allow to simmer for fifteen or twenty minutes; thicken some stock with a teaspoonful of flour, and add it to the stew; allow to simmer until the meat is perfectly tender.
If vegetables be required (the addition of which, however, is not considered any improvement), the original gravy, before adding the stock, must be removed and set aside.
Let the vegetables, consisting of, say, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cut-up and sliced cabbage, after being cleaned, remain for an hour or two in cold water; lay them over the meat, and pour in hot stock sufficient to cover the whole of the meat and vegetables, and allow to simmer over a brisk coal fire until quite tender; then pour into the pot the original gravy which had been removed, and serve up hot.
Or, instead of the vegetables named above, take only twenty-five or thirty tomatoes, in which case the stock should be lessened, as the tomatoes produce a large amount of liquid, and do not require as much boiling as the harder vegetables.