Bridget White Anglo-Indian Recipe Books

Bridget White Anglo-Indian Recipe Books
ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS

NO COPYING ALLOWED FROM THIS SITE



All the recipes and Photographs on this Site are old Family Recipes and tried and tested by the Author. Please feel free to try out these old recipes, and relish them, but desist from copying and using on other sites without the prior permission of Bridget White-Kumar. Any infringement would amount to Plagiarism and infringement of Copy Right punishable by Law

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DUE TO THE PRESENT SITUATION, I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO POST MY BOOKS TO THOSE WHO ORDER THEM DIRECTLY FROM ME.
ALL MY ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE ON Amazon.com
THIS IS THE LINK TO MY AUTHOR PAGE DISPLAYING ALL MY BOOKS. HENCE PLEASE ORDER DIRECTLY AND PURCHASE THE BOOKS FROM AMAZON

Friday, November 28, 2014

A FEW TIPS FOR COOKING RICE & HOW TO COOK PLAIN WHITE STEAMED RICE



















A FEW TIPS FOR COOKING RICE & WHITE STEAMED RICE

Raw rice should always be washed in cold water. Washing in hot water will break the grains and destroy the nutritional value.
Start cooking on high heat. When it reaches boiling point reduce heat and cook on low heat till all the water is absorbed. Allow the rice to stand for at least 10 minutes after cooking before serving.
Use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. However the amount of water will vary with the quality of rice and through experience the right amount of water to be used will be arrived at. A little more water would be needed if boiled rice is sued. While cooking rice in a pressure cooker use 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
 A Biryani or Pulao is a rice dish in which rice is cooked together with vegetables, meat or chicken together with various spices in a closed vessel over low heat. There are a few differences in preparing a Biryani and Pulao. Preparing Biryani, is a long process as the rice and meat along with other ingredients are first cooked separately, then layered in a huge vessel and simmered on a low flame. A Pulao is much easier to prepare as the rice and meat / vegetables and the other ingredients are all cooked together in one go!  Even thoughI suggest Basmati Rice in my recipes here, any other good quality rice may be used instead. 
Spiced rice, Briyanis and Pulao can be prepared in advance of a  party and stored in the freezer. Just before serving, cover the rice with a lid and place in a hot oven for 15 minutes for heating or heat for 4 or 5 minutes in a microwave oven.

WHITE STEAMED RICE
Serves 6    Preparation and cooking time 45 minutes

1cup raw rice
2 cups water
A pinch of salt


Wash the rice and soak in 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes. Place on heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook on low heat till done and all the water is absorbed. Cover and allow to stand  for 15 minutes before serving. This is the standard plain rice eaten every day. Serve with any curry, dhal or pepper water.

BRIDGET WHITE DIARIES - THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR 2014-10-30





















THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30 16:08:45
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30 16:08:45 


Bottom of Form
The Bridget White Diaries
- See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/9930/the-bridget-white-diaries-a-taste-of-history#sthash.EbzmjLzD.dpuf
You call them Burghers, we call them 'Anglo-Indians'. Just like in Sri Lanka,  this is a community of mixed ancestry: Portuguese, Dutch, British and - Indian.  After independence in 1947, the Anglo-Indians began to shrink. There was a variety of reasons. Some of it was social ostracism by other Indians : especially towards those with European skin-tones and features. Thousands also left simply to seek better prospects: mostly in Australia, England, the United States and Canada.  

But along with them,  their unique, amalgamated cuisine too, threatened to say goodbye to India. The British Shepherd's pie (the Indian curried version being 'cottage pie'),  mutton or beef glace (which, to Indian cooks, came to be known as 'glassy'), : many of the delights common in thousands of Indian households began to be replaced by the ubiquitious, tandoori clay-oven cuisine of the Indian North. Punjabi butter chicken took the place of the Sunday lamb roast,  paneer (cottage cheese) replaced glazed baby carrots and new potatoes: In restaurants, on flights, in homes: the culinary genre born of the marriage of western and eastern cultures began to wither up and die.

That is, till Bridget White-Kumar sat up and decided to do something about it.  White-Kumar was born to British, Portuguese and Dutch ancestry and grew up in Karnataka in southern India.  The Whites decided to stay put in their home country. "This is where we belong and we are well integrated into the mainstream," says White-Kumar, even as she stirs a sauce, chops onions and keeps an eagle eye on a roast in the oven.
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30

 

Her sprawling kitchen is like an impressive workshop, with every tool and implement needed by a master-chef.  After all and even though she is 62 and a grandmother, Bridget White-Kumar is not only a home-maker. She is also a food consultant to various five-star hotels across India and the author of seven best-selling recipe books on Anglo-Indian cuisine, whose condensation into one, UK-published volume, won her the 2012 Gourmand World Cook Book Award for 'The best culinary history book in India".
 
"Many of the older generation cooked from intuition and memory rather than from a written recipe," says White.  "In these days of instant mixes, few find the time for even a simple meal, let alone the traditional dishes of our forefathers. That's when I decided to compile the recipes and preserve the very unique heritage of our cuisine."
 
Even non Anglo-Indians who grew up in India's army cantonments of the sixties are die-hard fans of White-Kumar's commendable venture. Due to the great number of Anglo-Indians in military service, it is their cuisine that dominated club kitchens  From the quirkily named 'pepper water' to 'sheep's head curry', from 'trotters in gravy' to 'washerman's pie', White-Kumar's recipes evoke aromatic nostalgia and memories of kitchens filled with clouds of steam,  tantalizing spirals of spices and the pleasing sight of well-marinated cuts in old-fashioned 'meat-safes'.  It was an epoch of coalescence, of brown gravies and mango chutneys that gave the inherently contradictory occidental-oriental relationship an extraordinary and entirely tasty culinary genre of its own.
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30


White's collection includes selections dedicated to roasts, casseroles and bakes, snacks, egg delicacies but also one entirely for vegetarians and even recipes for home-made wines. Besides the modestly-priced collection of seven books (USD 10,- each) which can be ordered directly from White at bidkumar@gmail.com or bridgetkumar@yahoo.com,  the indefatigible and ever-smiling queen of the kitchen also writes a highly popular
 blog.

"Try my recipes," she says shyly, as she turns an upside-down pudding inside out, pineapples glistening and browned to perfection. "I promise you not only a gastronomic delight but also a rendezvous with history."

Text by Padma Rao Sundarji in New Delhi
 

- See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/9930/the-bridget-white-diaries-a-taste-of-history#sthash.EbzmjLzD.dpuf

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS - ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES

















Anglo-Indian Recipe Books by Bridget White-Kumar..
The List of Books along with prices for each country is given below.The cost of the books vary for each Country as the handling and Speed Post Charges are factored into the cost of each book. Payment in India through Money Order or Cheque. (No Cash on Delivery Basis )
Payment from abroad through Western Union or Paypal only. Contact me by email before making payment to confirm the order.
To order and buy copies of these books contact bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
1. ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST
Price per book : India : Rs175..00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs.350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00

2. ANGLO-INDIAN DELICACIES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00

3.A COLLECTION OF ANGLO-INDIAN ROASTS, CASSEROLES AND BAKES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
4.THE ANGLO-INDIAN FESTIVE HAMPER
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
5. THE ANGLO-INDIAN SNACK BOX
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
6. VEGETARIAN DELICACIES
Price per book : India : Rs150.00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs 350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00
7.SIMPLE EGG DELICACIES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
A whole set of 7 books costs as under which includes the Postage and handling:
In India only Rs. 1100.00
Posting to: Australia: Aus. $80.00, Canada C$80.00, UK: GBP 45.00, USA: $80.00
UAE: Rs 3000.00
Payment in India through Money Order or Cheque. (No Cash on Delivery Basis )
Payment from abroad through Western Union or Paypal only. Contact me by email before making payment to confirm the order.

Friday, November 14, 2014

CHRISTMAS CAKE
















CHRISTMAS CAKE
Christmas time is that very special time of the year signifying happiness, caring and family togetherness. Preparation of the traditional cakes and sweets that are a part and parcel of Christmas starts a month in advance, filling the house and neighbourhood with enticing smells. For many people, one of their strongest childhood memories, is the enticing aroma of baking at Christmas. This is the time, when the whole house is in a festive mood, with the anticipation of Christmas, and everyone in the family chips in to help prepare those heavenly delights, such as  the traditional Christmas Cakes, kalkals and Rose Cookies, many other sweets and goodies that are prepared specially for Christmas. Christmas cakes are the best place to start if you want to get in the Christmas spirit nice and early. Christmas cakes are delicious if you make them in advance and feed it your chosen liquor gradually over the weeks leading up to Christmas. Most Anglo-Indian families have their own recipe for the Christmas Cake, that  is usually handed down through generations. Candied fruit, plums, currants, raisins, orange peel etc are dexterously cut and soaked in Rum or Brandy a few weeks in advance.  Nuts are peeled and chopped and the whole family comes together to make the cake. Jobs are allotted to everyone -  one to whip up the eggs, while another creams the butter and sugar, the flour is sieved, cake tins are lined, and a strong pair of arms are requisitioned to do the final mixing and stirring. After the cake batter is poured into the tins, the real fun starts with everyone fighting to lick the leftover batter in the mixing bowl and from the spoons and spatulas --  Here is a recipe for Christmas Cake that I’ve been using for many years. It may not look very dark but its rich and tasty.

Ingredients:
500 grams refined flour or plain flour              
300 grams dark brown sugar
500 grams unsalted butter
500 grams mixed dried fruits (equal quantities of black currants, raisins and sultanas) which have been chopped  finely and soaked in rum or brandy before hand
100 grams chopped orange / lemon peel          
1 tablespoon Zest of lemon or orange
¼ teaspoon salt                                          
½  teaspoon nutmeg powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
4 eggs beaten well                                             
4 tablespoons milk (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence / extract
2 tablespoons Black Currant Jam or Orange Marmalade
2 tablespoons Black Treacle Syrup or Date Syrup  (optional)

Heat the oven to 150°C
Remove the chopped fruit from the rum, drain and keep aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt together.
Dust the orange / lemon peel and the chopped soaked fruit with a little flour.
Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the beaten eggs, treacle / date syrup, vanilla essence, orange / lemon zest and mix well. Now add the Black Currant Jam / Marmalade, orange / lemon peel and chopped fruit. Slowly add the flour and mix gently till all the ingredients are combined well. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk.
Pour into a greased and papered baking tin or dish and bake in a slow oven (150°C ) for about one hour or more. (Check if cooked by inserting a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your cake is ready. Bake for some more time if still raw inside)
Remove from the oven when done and set aside to cool.


When the cake is completely cool, poke all over with tooth pick and drizzle brandy or rum all over the cake, (repeat once in every week or ten days). Wrap in foil paper, and store in an air tight container. This cake will last for months if stored in an air tight container.